Reel Around The Sun
by SkyeL4
Summary: Audacious Emma Swan helps Princess Regina dance again after breaking her leg, with only months until the ball that will decide her future. Regina dreads the ball, knowing she is to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. She dreads her dance lessons too and can't figure out why the dashing dance teacher unsettles her so much.
1. Chapter 1

The sound of lively string music radiated from the Grand Hall to fill every corridor of the palace. Regina descended the stairs, taking extra care on the plush red carpet in her uncomfortable heels.

"Oh hurry up, it'll be over by the time you get there" Zelena snapped from the bottom of the stairs.

Regina let her hand brush the ornate wooden banister under the pretence of admiring it, though really she wanted something to grab in case she fell. She felt faint, not just because her corset had been strung too tight.

"I can't believe mother let you wear black, you look like you're going to a funeral" Zelena spat

 _'Am I not?'_ Regina thought and felt the threat of tears at the back of her throat.

"At least I don't look like a Christmas tree" she replied. Zelena glared at her. Her billowing green dress was beautiful and she knew it.

"I suppose you need something slimming. Apart from your dance lessons, you've been an absolute lump since your accident" Zelena threw back at her and looked down the corridor.

A shock of nerves went through Regina at the reminder of Emma. She felt sick. She wanted to go to bed and sleep forever.

"I hope she at least taught you something, though dancing was never really your forte" Zelena turned back to her sister to see her turning a pale shade of grey.

"Regina?" Zelena exhibited a rare moment of genuine concern.

"I'll be fine" Regina said. She reached the bottom of the stairs and waited a moment to catch her breath.

Zelena watched her, unconvinced.

"You can't let mother see you like this" she said quietly, glancing again down the corridor as if she expected to see her any moment.

Regina placed her hand on her stomach and breathed out slowly. She felt hot and suffocated.

"It's just the corset" she lied.

Emma's face swam before her. Guilt ate away at her like she had swallowed acid. Music slurred in her ears with the sound of her own blood rushing.

"Regina, sit down" Zelena didn't wait for an answer, she held her sister's arm tightly and lay her back against the stairs.

"Princess Regina!" A guard appeared at Zelena's side

"Get away!" Zelena snapped and him and he recoiled "she needs space, have you ever worn a bloody corset? Go and stand in the corridor, make sure no one comes this way. Go!"

He gave Regina one last look. She was sure her face was white as a sheet. Sitting helped her heartbeat slow but her ribs and chest still felt crushed, only now she was crushed at an angle.

"We're going to get up again in ten seconds" Zelena said to her and Regina tried to compose herself. She felt Emma's strong arm around her waist, but when she opened her eyes it was Zelena helping her to stand.

"We're going to walk slowly to the hall." Zelena said gently "I'll distract mother for as long as I can, but she is going to have you dance with every prince in there." They walked arm in arm towards the music.

"Tell them to fetch you refreshments when you need it, or when you just want them to go away." They stood together in front of the doors as Zelena passed on small measures of wisdom.

"If you get a lively one, maybe try to engage him in conversation about something. They always want to talk about how big their kingdoms are if you know what I mean" The corner of her mouth curled wickedly.

Regina drew a breath as deep as her corset would allow and let it out slowly.

Zelena nodded at the footman standing by. The doors opened. The gentry of what looked like several different kingdoms greeted them.

"The Royal Princesses Zelena and Regina" Called the Scrollmaster.

Regina felt like she could be sick. Everyone in the hall turned to look at them. Zelena snapped her fan open and fluttered it momentarily to hide her mouth.

"For heaven's sake Regina, smile!" she whispered forcefully and snapped her fan away again.

Regina felt like her smile cracked her skin, cracked the mask she was trying to create that said all was well. Her stomach lurched at every blonde woman she saw. None of them were Emma.

"Darlings" Cora said as they approached "that took an awfully long time" she said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"Regina's gotten rather fat and lazy since her accident, mother, can barely handle a simple corset" Zelena sneered from her mother's side. Cora missed the glimpse of concern in her eyes, though Regina didn't.

"Well" she said after a brief pause to scrutinize Regina's appearance "don't let your discomfort impact the evening. I don't want to hear a single complaint"

Zelena scoffed "Then we'd better fill our ears with candle wax, mother"

Regina bowed her head.

"I mean it, Regina" Cora said with another cold smile "you're skating on thin ice. Archduke!" Cora called. He rushed to align the first of Regina's suitors for the evening.

Zelena frowned at Regina in question while their mother wasn't looking. Regina dropped her eyes to the floor. She could have sworn she saw Emma in the crowd, but didn't have the courage to look again. She felt Zelena's eyes on her still.

"Your Royal Highness, may I present to you Prince Dakkar of Bundelkhand" the Archduke announced. Regina curtseyed.

"Princess Regina, would you care to dance?" asked a tall man in a white doublet with gold inlay. He wore a navy blue turban with gold detailing. His nose was long and suited his serious face.

"It would be my pleasure" she lied. He took her hand and it felt wrong. She followed him to the dance floor. The Viennese Waltz was called. She knew exactly what to do, but standing there with him felt like blasphemy.

He bowed and she curtseyed and he put a hand on her waist. She wanted to slap it away. People fell in around them. The music began gently and they turned.

"Check your shoe for dirt" she heard Emma's voice in her head as they dipped and turned their heads at their pointed toes. He spun her around again. He didn't hold her hand as securely as Emma.

"And the other shoe" Emma said again. They dipped again and she felt like screaming. She wanted to dig her nails into his arms.

"1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3" Emma's voice filled her head and she couldn't see. She stared at the sigil on the prince's chest. It was a strange kind of sea creature that she had never seen. It was something between a shell and a squid. She felt sick.

The prince spun her around and around, she lost track of how many times but her muscle memory seemed to be spot on. It was strange to be led by someone else. His hand pressed too hard on her hip, gripped her too hard when he lifted her. Emma had been softer, more confident. The feel of Emma's touch on her skin sent a shock through her, but it was all imagined.

When the dance was over they turned and applauded for the musicians. The prince led her to the side of the dance floor. He was talking about something, she wasn't listening. She was concentrating on putting one foot in front of another.

"1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3…"

"Prince Dakkar, I believe The King wishes to speak with you" The Archduke interrupted, he introduced another Prince to Regina. She curtseyed and the he left them.

She lost count of how many princes she danced with. She forgot where they were from, she didn't listen to their lists of main exports, she stopped trying to remember their names after number eight.

"How are you getting on?" Zelena appeared at her side when another nameless suitor went to get her something to drink.

"When can I leave?" Regina asked quietly.

Zelena looked panicked. She laughed loudly gazing around her and snapped her fan open again.

"Probably in a couple of hours" she whispered behind the fan "you're doing wonderfully, Regina, your dancing really is splendid. You should have broken your leg years ago"

Regina almost smiled.

"Prince Hylas" Zelena said as he returned. Regina looked up and took the drink from him. She watched his face as he spoke to Zelena, too tired to do anything else. He was beautiful, but he looked sad.

"Perhaps you would enjoy a turn about the palace gardens?" Zelena suggested

"Absolutely. Would you lead me, Princess?" he asked Regina

"It would be my pleasure" she gave her stock reply of the evening and thanked Zelena with a look.

She breathed in the smell of pine that hung in the air on summer evenings. She chose the rose garden for a walk. It was not the closest, but it was pretty even in the dimly lit evening.

"Forgive me, Princess, I do not know your ways, but you seem…" Hylas spoke. Regina watched him struggle for a word that got his meaning across that he could also retract if it caused offence "…distant"

Regina felt refreshed by the air, but was still physically exhausted. Encouraged by her silence, Hylas continued.

"I am here at my father's insistence. You are very beautiful and most accomplished" he added quickly seeing her turn to him "impressive beyond imagining and an incredible dancer, Princess, please do not get me wrong. My heart belongs to another" he looked away

Regina watched the side of his face and how his curls tumbled past his cheeks.

"Will your father not allow you to marry them?" she asked, leaving a gender specific pronoun out to test the water. He turned back and looked at her knowingly.

He gave her a questioning smile. She was not about to confess her love for another woman to a complete stranger, but she nodded so slightly it was barely perceptible. He smiled sadly at her "if it wouldn't be horribly inappropriate I would hug you, Princess" he said with relief.

"You can call me Regina. Tell me about your love" she said quietly

"He is…worshipped in my land, and rightly so. He loves me too but is not bound by the shackles of royalty." He said, his eyes unfocussed on the stars, clear and bright above them.

Regina looped her arm though his. They turned at the end of the garden and started back.

"Tell me of yours?" He asked.

Regina felt her heart thump in her throat. She struggled for words. She thought about telling him who she was, how it felt when they were together, how beautiful she was, but none of it would form into sentences in her mind, just snatches of conversations, echoes of memories, fragments of passion.

She looked around them. There was no one to overhear them.

"She is dead" she said finally. Her throat was dry, her voice cracked as the words tumbled out her mouth. It didn't even sound like her voice.

She wanted to be back in the palace. She wanted to shut herself in her room, but she would take the bustling, colourful, rambunctious crowd over the quiet of the garden and her guilt and memories.

She felt Hylas' arm tighten against hers.

"I am sorry" he whispered "in another life perhaps we could wed and both be happy" he said playfully

"Until children were called for" Regina replied, with half a smile. An easy laugh tumbled from him.

When they reached the doors of the hall he turned to her and bowed low holding her hand. He kissed it and she felt the softness of his lips on her skin. It didn't feel half as horrible as the grasp of all the fine men she had danced with that evening.

When he stood straight again she smiled at him. It was the first time she had smiled since she could remember.

"Thank you" she said and he turned to leave. She watched him go feeling the only person in the world who would understand her had come and gone in an instant. She was alone again. The moment she turned back to the hall she heard the familiar voice of the archduke.

"Princess Regina, may I introduce Prince Tod"

Regina turned to the man with fiery red hair and a cheeky grin. This one was going to be hard work, she thought with relief and fought back the image of Emma's smile that was now clouding her mind.


	2. Chapter 2

**3 months ago**

"Regina the ball has been postponed for a short while so that you can gain back whatever grace and elegance you had on the dance floor before you stupidly broke your leg" Cora walked too quickly for her and she knew it.

Regina's walking stick had been confiscated against the doctor's advice and now she struggled to keep pace with her mother as she was led to an unused wing of the palace. The corridors were rough-hewn stone. Regina guessed this was the oldest part of the castle. The ceilings were tall which afforded a good amount of natural light to brighten their way.

Two guards stood by an open heavy oak door, from which issued unfamiliar voices.

"Behave" Cora stopped on the threshold "and don't embarrass me"

Regina thought they were two very different things, but nodded modestly at her mother. They entered the circular room, which was empty except for the man and woman talking with a footman. At the sight of Cora the footman stopped speaking and stood to attention like a soldier.

"This is your new dance teacher" Cora said to Regina.

This was the first Regina was hearing of this. She could barely walk, how was she expected to dance?

"This" Cora turned to the couple and indicating her daughter "is Princess Regina of the Enchanted Forest. Teach her well and you will be fairly rewarded" Regina sensed the other half of her sentence hanging over them. Though unspoken, the threat of _"and if you don't…"_ was just as menacing as if she had said it out loud.

Cora paused long enough to get her point across. The couple didn't speak, though the man nodded.

"The footmen will see to it that you have all you need" she finished and swept out of the room. Her heel strikes in the corridor were audible and seemed to echo into the bare chamber.

"Introductions then?" The woman turned to her husband and smiled. Regina noticed her dimples. She wore a heavy blue travelling cloak, her blonde hair tumbled past her shoulders and curled into lazy waves.

"Right you are" he replied. He turned to face Regina and bowed deeply. He wore a black leather jerkin over a white shirt. He didn't seem to have shaved which lowered him in her esteem. Something about his face was smug and she didn't quite know what to make of him.

"My name is Phillip, though I go by Pip, and this is my sister Emma Swan, she goes by Emma" he said when he came up from his bow. _At least that was genuine_ , Regina thought.

The woman curtseyed deeply, also genuine, and smiled. Siblings, not spouses. Regina scolded herself internally for making assumptions.

"We specialise in rehabilitation and dance, specifically among the nobility. We do not advertise, we work through recommendations from one noble family to another, so you see our discretion and integrity are vouched for by our previous employers" he said.

When he was finished he clasped his hands together in front him and waited for questions. Regina was distracted by the woman who had obviously run out of interest in her brother's opener and was scanning and sizing up the room.

Regina realised he was waiting for her to speak. She couldn't think of anything to say. She felt uncomfortable and embarrassed. She knew she couldn't dance with her leg in the shape that it was.

"We fix broken royals, basically" the woman said, and jolted Regina out of the fear spiral she was falling into.

The man sighed. There was a shocked pause while the woman smiled matter of factly at her and Regina stared back.

"I am not broken!" Regina said, through her outrage.

"Well, you're not fixed" the woman said, glancing at her leg.

"Let's get started shall we?" Pip interrupted. "All is in order, thank you" he said to the footman who took his leave.

Pip opened their trunk to reveal numerous musical instruments, some clothes and a machine Regina didn't recognise.

"Emma" he called her over and she went, though she was still smiling with her audacious dimples "must you always do this?" He whispered though Regina heard him just fine. Her attitude was a chronic problem then, Regina inferred.

"Yes" Emma replied "you want to work with nerves and self pity or passion and a desire to prove me wrong?"

He sighed again. The woman turned back to Regina "what would you like to start with? Ballroom or baroque?"

"Ballroom" Regina replied, though she was indignant of the way she addressed her. She was aware she was royalty.

"Excellent" Emma said, ignoring the curious and irritated look Regina gave her back.

Pip opened a violin case and Emma took off her cloak. She also wore a white shirt though it was under a laced bodice that matched her cloak. She seemed to be fiddling with the side her long white skirt before she pulled it off to reveal that she wore breeches and knee-high boots underneath.

Regina gasped "I'm to dance with you?" She asked, losing her composure momentarily.

"Yep" Emma replied, dumping the skirt in the trunk and looking rather pleased at the change. "Pip is a terrible dancer, but an excellent musician" she said

"It's true, Princess" he said, slightly more respectfully than Emma. He tuned his violin while Emma stretched her back and Regina glared at her.

"Shall we start with a basic waltz?" Emma asked Pip, rather than Regina. He nodded agreement.

"Princess may I have this dance?" She asked offering her hand

"Are you making fun of me?" Regina asked, though she thought it was pretty clear, and pretty rich coming from a woman dressed up as a man. Why was she so infuriating? She made Regina even more uncomfortable than she already was.

"You can learn to dance any dance you want, but you should always start them the way you mean to go on" Emma said seriously. "It's a good way to get in the right mindset. And just standing around together is awkward" she said with another smile.

Regina agreed this was incredibly awkward. She gave Emma her hand and they walked to a spot in the middle of the room. Emma was slower than she expected her to be, obviously conscious of her injury. Pip began to play and Emma held Regina's hand up.

"Shoulders back" Emma said, her own were straight and her arm was fixed at an angle that seemed to come naturally to her, though Regina felt this was all unnatural.

She set her shoulders back as told. Her chin was up. Emma put her hand on her waist and Regina went to put hers on Emma's shoulder. It felt strange to touch someone else. She never really did. Emma watched her.

"Ready?" She asked

"Sure, in another month when my leg has healed properly" Regina replied, letting her mask slip again.

"You'll be fine" Emma said confidently and turned them to the music.

Regina was pleasantly surprised to find dancing was marginally less painful than walking. She thought it had a lot to do with how strong Emma was. Experience had obviously taught her when extra support was needed. When Regina faltered she held her up and reassured her.

After a while Regina felt safe, relaxed even. They danced for a few more of Pip's songs with little trouble.

"Ow!" Regina had set her foot down at a painful angle, lost her balance and fell. Emma was quick to react and caught her in plenty of time.

"You're ok, let's sit down" she said, looking for a surface. "Ok, we need to get a couch or something in here."

Pip knocked the lid of the trunk down with his boot and Emma made her way over.

"I'll get some water" Pip said, putting his violin gently down and leaving them.

Regina fought back tears that threatened to embarrass her. Now she was off it, her leg throbbed.

"How did you break your leg?" Emma asked in the quiet.

"I fell off my horse" Regina said flatly, though that wasn't the whole story, she was an excellent rider. She wanted to hitch her skirt up and rub her leg, but it wouldn't be proper. She just let it tingle, spasm and hurt.

"Bad horse?" Emma asked, knowing almost nothing about horses herself.

"No!" Regina looked askance at her "horses are easily startled, it wasn't his fault" _or mine,_ she thought.

"Oh" Emma said and it was quiet again. "Do you want me to take a look?" she asked, indicating Regina's leg.

"No" Regina replied quickly and perhaps a little too forcefully. She was self-conscious and could feel Emma's eyes on her. She couldn't put her finger on what it was about Emma that unsettled her so much.

"This can be fun, you know" Emma said.

Regina thought that was pretty easy for her to say. She had two good legs. Regina held back her snappy reply. There was something calming about being spoken to like a normal person, though she still thought it was rude.

"We have three months, we can do this" Emma said with a smile that reassured Regina more than she expected.


	3. Chapter 3

A week passed and Regina was pleased with her progress. She could remember most of the dances fairly well and despite being unable to walk with grace, she seemed to be better at dancing with it.

"You're doing well" Emma said "your body remembers the movements and your mobility has improved too. Do you feel stronger?"

Regina didn't know. She never thought about it. She was taught to monitor her looks, her skills, her posture etcetera, but physical strength was never something she was encouraged to have.

"I suppose so" she said, not wanting to disappoint her teacher.

Emma stretched her calf muscles, using the wall to prop her foot against and leaning into it.

"Went a bit hard last night, did you?" Pip asked

"Hard is the only way to go" Emma replied, switching legs.

Pip chuckled and tightened the strings of his bow.

Regina didn't know what they were taking about. She wanted to ask but she just watched Emma. The noises she made were of mingled pain and relief. She looked out of the window while she stretched. The morning light turned her blonde hair golden.

Regina felt something she couldn't quite identify as she observed her. Envy?

She watched her stretch out her limbs gracefully. She could see the muscles in her legs and heard the crack of her arms when she reached up. The bodice was gone now and light shone through the loose shirt she wore, silhouetting her torso against the fabric and Regina could see her slender form clearly.

She felt the thing again but this time instinctively looked away. Whatever it was, it wasn't good. She pushed it down.

Emma tied her hair up and they began their next lesson.

"Ok, we're going back to the waltz today" Emma said "so you need to hold on and steady yourself against me when you need to. Any decent dance partner knows that it is about give and take, and consistency. If you're always the same, they will always know how I respond."

Emma took Regina's hand and led her to the floor as always. They had argued over the best way to approach the floor. Emma hated the one-arm-floating-behind walk that some adopted. She said it looked like she was walking through a moat. Regina had quite liked it but that had ruined it for her. She thought that might have been Emma's intention.

When Regina danced at the ball she would essentially be Emma's business card, so she understood her investment in this.

"You overreach here" Emma pointed to the arm that rested on her shoulder. "You don't have to hold your partner's shoulder. Assuming they are as tall as me or taller, they all wear heeled boots anyway, you won't be able to reach and dance properly."

Regina wondered what she was supposed to do. Wear taller shoes?

"This ache I'm guessing you feel…" Emma slid her hand up Regina's back and she suppressed a shiver "…here" she pressed into a spot just next to her shoulder blade. Regina gasped at the pain and automatically thrust forward, away from it and into Emma.

"Yep" Emma smiled down at her. Amusement tinged the sympathy in her green eyes "that's from overreaching"

Regina stared up at her for a moment. How had she known exactly where she hurt? She realised she was staring and drew back. Emma still held her in position for their dance.

"You can rest your hand on their chest" Emma drew Regina's arm down until the base of her palm rested just above where her breast should be. Regina suddenly became very aware of every nerve ending in her hand.

"Oh I forgot" Emma stepped back and Regina's arm fell quickly back to her side.

"In an effort to be realistic, I'm wearing this" Emma unbuttoned her shirt. Regina felt she should definitely look away now, but instead of bare skin Emma showed her she had wrapped a cloth tightly around her chest.

"See, there's nothing there" she brushed her hand over her flat, covered chest and buttoned up her shirt again.

"Ok" she drew near again and Regina rested her hand where it felt comfortable. Regina tried not to think about what was underneath her palm, separated from her skin by a few layers of fabric.

"Good" Emma smiled "I love it when they listen to me"

Pip laughed and began playing.

* * *

One morning in the dance room tensions seemed higher than usual. Emma and Pip seemed to have figured out everything they needed. A disused chaise lay under a window. A mirror was propped up near the door and Pip had acquired a trestle table to arrange his instruments on. The room was set up just fine, there was something wrong with the people in it.

"This part. Stop" Emma said to Regina and Pip stopped playing. "This is supposed to be all you. You can balance; you're strong enough to hold this. Try again"

Her tone was more forceful than Regina was used to from her, but she didn't say anything, her own irritation bubbling just under the surface. They began again and Pip started up.

"Stop" Pip stopped "do you know which part I mean?" Emma asked, frowning

"Yes" Regina replied "but it's hard"

"Yes" Emma said "that's the point. The point of all dancing is to do something hard and make it look like the easiest thing in the world. Again" she clicked her boot heel on the other in impatience.

Pip started again. Regina turned when she was supposed to, took Emma's hand again and took the step she kept messing up. She lost her balance. She hit the floor hard on her good side.

"Ow! You could have caught me!" Regina said from the ground.

"You could have caught yourself" Emma replied "I'm here to teach you, not coddle you. You are going to be exceptional when we are done, you're just not taking this seriously" she turned away from her, without offering a hand up.

"Not taking it seriously?" Regina raged as she climbed to her feet and dusted off her deep red dress "this is my life" she snapped

"I know" Emma said turning back to her, hands on her hips "which why I don't understand"

Regina could have throttled her, she was so angry. Fierce responses whirled round her mind.

"What could you possibly know about my life?" Regina demanded "about this ball, and what it means. It's dressed up like a celebration for me, as an opportunity when really it's an auction and I am an object to be bought with a kingdom"

Emma watched her for a moment. She had never met anyone, princess or otherwise, who was not excited about a ball being thrown in their honour. She cynically knew that was the purpose of most of the dances thrown by the nobility, but she had never met anyone who didn't buy into it before.

Regina's eyes were dark and blazing. Emma felt she was seeing a version of Regina that rarely came out. She had kept this in for weeks and Emma had finally gotten to the heart of what was mentally blocking Regina from improving at the pace she was capable of.

"I am going to help you make the best of this" she said after a while. "Dance well enough and you will have your pick. Find someone you have chemistry with and you may even find something you don't expect. Like happiness"

Regina's expression softened at the response she hadn't expected.

Emma held out her hand to dance with Regina again. Regina took it slowly and Emma drew her into position.

"I am never going to go easy on you" Emma said quietly. Regina looked back at her, her eyes still wide from their exchange. "You deserve the best from me, and I am going to get the best from you"

After a moment she turned to look at Pip who had been staring at the ground, not listening. Regina's eyes slipped down the curve of Emma's jaw, her smooth neck and onto her clavicle. Regina had never paid any attention to her own, but she thought Emma's was nice.

"You ok?" Emma asked Pip. He sprang into animation once again.

 _More than ok,_ Regina thought to herself as Emma turned to her again, dimples and all.


	4. Chapter 4

Regina kept her eyes shut tight against the light of the morning and counted the chimes coming from the clock in the corridor. Seven. She dragged herself into a sitting position and her body ached in protest. She rubbed the sharp, sandy sleep from her eyes. She must have gotten a few hours at least.

In the harsh illumination of the day, her memories from the night before seemed to shrink back to the shadows. It didn't even seem real.

She groaned and climbed out of bed, starting her preparations for the morning. She splashed her face with cold water, hoping it would help her look fresh at breakfast and not like she had been out until the wee hours on a secret trip to the town with her sister. Zelena, she discovered, had not gone to the same trouble and Regina had a quiet breakfast with her father.

"What will you be doing today?" the king had asked her, vacantly.

She stared back at him. Did he have no idea of anything that went on under his own roof? It's not as if he had a kingdom to run in anything but name.

"Dancing" Regina replied shortly. He made some banal observations that she couldn't bring herself to reply to and excused herself. He didn't protest.

Regina went back to her room to dress for her lesson. She felt oddly nervous today, she couldn't put her finger on why. It took three dress changes before she was happy enough with her appearance to head down to the Old Wing, as she had been calling it. She was surprised to find that she was the first one there.

She arranged herself on the chaise but got bored of waiting after a while. She got up to look out of the window at the palace workers going about their business. Had any of them been at the tavern last night? Had any of them suspected she was amongst them?

Suddenly she realised she could hear boots striking stone in the hall, but just one pair. She wondered who it was and felt a flutter of anxiety that it might be Emma, or that it might not be.

She didn't bother to arrange herself this time, she just leant on the windowsill.

Emma appeared, closed the door behind her and dropped a bundle into the trunk. She didn't so much as look at Regina until she had and closed the lid with a bang. She sighed.

Regina got the distinct feeling she shouldn't be the one to break the silence. She didn't move in fact, struggling to read Emma's body language and to reconcile the woman stood before with the woman she had seen last night.

Emma turned toward her but took a moment to drag her eyes up to meet Regina's, as if she dreaded what was coming. Her expression was hard.

"What were you doing at The Reel last night?" she finally asked in a controlled voice.

Regina didn't answer immediately. How had Emma even known she was there? Had Zelena told? No, that would get her into an equal amount of trouble with Cora and she probably would have had their heads by now. She didn't know how to reply, she had so many questions of her own.

"I didn't know you would be there" Regina said eventually. "Zelena wanted to go"

Emma rounded on her so quickly, she would have taken a step back if she weren't already against a wall.

"Do you have any idea what could have happened if you were recognised? For fucks sake!" Emma turned away from her and wiped her mouth like she hadn't meant to swear at her.

Regina didn't understand, no one should have recognised her. She had worn a glamour, even Zelena didn't recognise her at first. She heard Emma take a slow breath.

"Nothing happened though" She said walking towards the other woman.

"It could have though!" Emma turned to face her again, she didn't seem to know where to look "Regina, you could have been mobbed! You can't walk around without guards to protect you! I swear to gods my heart stopped beating when I saw you"

Something clanged in Regina's chest.

"If we were seen in the same place, people would think I took you there! I could be fucking hanged! At the very least I'd never work again which is almost as good as." Emma's expression seemed equal parts anger and fear.

Regina pressed her lips together. She hadn't thought of that. She couldn't imagine anything bad happening to Emma, she was such a vision of strength and talent.

"I apologise" Regina said. It sounded hollow, like it wasn't enough but she meant it. "I'll never go again" she added though the promise saddened her greatly.

Emma frowned at the floor like she was holding back a lot. Regina guessed she was angry, though she didn't understand why Emma didn't take it out on her. She certainly deserved it. The air was thick with things that weren't being said.

"It was incredible though" Regina broke the tension "I didn't sleep at all last night thinking about you…all" she added quickly, unable to leave it at just 'you' which would have been more accurate.

Emma didn't look at her. She groaned quietly and walked over to lean on the trestle table.

"Was it something special last night?" Regina asked, desperate to talk about it with her.

"No" Emma replied after a while, though her voice was flat "it's like that most nights. It's good right now because lots of people are coming in from the big trading roads because of the ball. There's people from all over. Dances from all over" she looked at the floor.

Regina had so many questions but Emma didn't seem keen to answer any of them.

"And Pip, I couldn't believe my ears" she tried again, suddenly aware of what she sounded like and trying to draw attention away from her admiration of Emma. A memory of her in that dress flashed across her mind and then was gone again.

"Where is he today?" she asked and looked around to check he hadn't snuck in. He was very good at making himself into the furniture when he wanted to.

Emma watched her for a moment before replying.

"I told him to stay home in case..." She hesitated and glanced at Regina "in case anything happened to me at the palace"

Regina was horrified.

"And you still came?" She asked

Emma shrugged.

"I know you think this isn't important for me, but it is, and not just because if I make one single mistake, word gets around and I never work again. I thought at least Pip would be ok. Musicians can always find bits of work here and there" Emma said

Regina could have cried she was so angry at herself for putting them in this position. She wondered what the other reasons were that _this_ was important to Emma.

Regina could hardly believe the impact of what she had done.

"Do you want to dance today?" Emma asked.

"Yes" Regina replied honestly "will you teach me something new?" She asked

Emma almost smiled "in a day?"

"Yes" she replied, matter of factly. "Something I'll never dance at a ball"

Emma looked at her, more searchingly than she had before. Regina immediately felt like she had been stripped naked. She resisted the urge to check only so she wouldn't break eye contact with Emma. She felt like she couldn't stand it, and like she wanted it to last forever.

"Ok" Emma said when she was finished sizing her up. She was up in a second, rummaging through the trunk. She pulled out a box and what looked like the end of a trumpet. One fit onto the other.

"This is Pip The Second, in case anything ever happens to Pip The First" Emma said

She pulled off her boots and swapped them for shoes. She jumped and struck the floor three times with what seemed like impossible speed.

Regina had a flash back of the night before. Emma's hair bouncing on her shoulders and the crack of heels on wood.

"Ok, I'm going to teach you something better than a simple dance" Emma said

Regina was slightly disappointed though she tried not to show it. She had asked for a dance, but she supposed she should be grateful Emma was here at all.

Emma wound up Pip II and placed a disk on the top. Music of four musicians started up at once but there was no one there. Regina stared at the trumpet box.

"How...how is it...?" She tried to inspect the box and Emma laughed.

"Come on" she said and took her hand and pulled her to the middle of the room.

Regina ran to keep up with her.

"That wasn't very proper" Regina play scolded and raised an eyebrow.

Emma put her arm around her waist and pulled them close together.

"This isn't going to be proper, it's going to be real" Emma smiled

Regina had no idea what that meant but it was exhilarating. Her heart fluttered.

"I'm going to teach you how to dance" Emma said, holding Regina's hand in hers, but much closer than before. There was no structure like their other dances, there was no distance between them at all. It was just them and the ghost musicians that Regina knew she would have to investigate later.

"Listen to the music. You have to let it kind of flow through you. It moves you, you're a leaf on a gently flowing river. Understand?" Emma asked

"In principal" Regina replied

"Ok, follow my lead" Emma said

The steps Emma led her on were different from any others she had known. She detected a pattern but struggled to follow Emma.

"Loosen up" Emma said "there's no right or wrong, there's only movement, give and take"

Regina didn't understand. There was no structure to follow, it was all in the moment. It was...Emma. This was her life. Emma twirled her and laughed at her surprise.

"Ok" Emma said, stopping. "That was good, you need to loosen up though. Shake your arms out "

"What?" Regina asked. She hadn't chosen her dress so carefully to then make an idiot out of herself in it.

Emma jumped around and shook her limbs out. She rolled her neck on her shoulders. She stretched her arms and Regina heard them crack again.

"Stretch, shake, it'll help, honestly" Emma said

Regina was bordering on annoyance. She hadn't asked for this, had she? She did what she was told and copied Emma, though she could hardly understand how it would help and she scowled as she did it.

Emma changed to music from a lively reel to something a bit slower. It was still unlike the music Regina knew. She couldn't tell how many musicians there were.

"You relaxed?" Emma asked, walking up to her, her shoes clipping as she went.

"Yes" Regina lied so she could stop shaking her arms like an imbecile.

"No you're not" Emma laughed, "your shoulders are practically in your ears. Let me help"

She stood behind Regina and gently pushed her shoulders all the way down. Regina reluctantly let her.

"Feel the difference?" Emma asked

"I suppose" she replied. She couldn't really concentrate. It made her nervous that Emma was behind her.

"I'm going to shake your arms out, so you know how to do it properly, ok?" Emma said

Regina nodded. She felt Emma turn her shoulders.

"Keep your hips facing forward, try not to turn them." Emma said. Regina felt her press her abdomen for illustration. In her head she screamed.

"Right, now swing a little further around each time, gently, that's good. Keep your arms loose, let them just swing around."

Regina did what she thought she was being told.

"Can you feel it there?" She touched the small of Regina's back.

"Yes" Regina said

"And here?" Emma rubbed the line between her shoulder blades.

Regina sucked her breath in sharply at the pain.

"That still hurts?" Emma asked

"Just a little" Regina replied, not wanting to draw attention to it

Emma rubbed the spot again and Regina twitched and gasped. Emma hummed.

"Do you want me to rub it out?" Emma asked. Regina wished she could see her face.

"Ok" she replied, noncommittally.

Emma slid her thumb underneath the fabric at the back of Regina's dress and gently pressed. Regina took a breath in sharply. Emma rubbed firmly in circles. Regina bit her lip to keep from making any more embarrassing sounds but it didn't entirely work.

She groaned in mingled pain and relief. It was loud enough that the door to the room flung open and a guard burst in.

They stood still facing the door. Emma paused but didn't drop her hands, well aware of how guilty that would make her look.

"Er…are you alright, Princess?" he asked

"Yes?" Regina replied, questioningly. She felt Emma withdraw her hands.

"It's just, I heard a sound" he stuttered and stared daggers behind her at Emma.

"I see" Regina replied "Perhaps you should stand guard at the other end of the corridor then. If you hear a noise from all the way down there, it probably is Miss Swan trying to murder me, so do interrupt then"

He didn't move for a moment. Regina knew he meant well, but she had also noticed the way all the palace staff seemed to look at Emma and Pip, like they wanted to take them down a peg or two.

"Yes Majesty" he replied and closed the door.

Regina turned to look at Emma, who was biting her lip to keep in a laugh. Regina laughed at the sight of her.

"Oh dear" Emma said "Maybe we should call it a day, Majesty"

"Oh no, we've hardly done anything" Regina said, suddenly desperate to do the stupid arm swinging thing again if it would keep Emma here.

Emma looked at her in that way again. Regina felt exposed, but she fixed a stubborn look on her.

"Alright then" Emma laughed "Come here"

She slid her hand around Regina's waist again. Regina could have sworn it was lower this time. Either way, she was properly relaxed and ready to meet Emma's challenge of "real" dancing, whatever that was.


	5. Chapter 5

**The night before**

The music in the tavern held everyone rapt, which was just as well, Regina thought. She and Zelena both wore glamours of their own creation so she wasn't worried about being recognised. She was still nervous about being in public without the usual guard. Should she have let Zelena talk her into this? Now that she was there, it seemed absolutely ridiculous for the two princesses to sneak into town unguarded so Zelena could enjoy the attention of a squire who seemed to interest her.

It was warm inside but she kept her hood pulled down just in case. She followed Zelena and the squire to a well-hidden spot and sat down. She realised the man playing the flute was Pip! He looked so serene as he played.

She sat back on the hard wooden bench and listened with her eyes closed. The music filled her mind with the image of a bird circling in the cold air of dawn, just before the sun comes up. She felt a misty chill, the sensation of soaring wings and a wild landscape under a slowly brightening sky.

She had never heard anything like this, she wanted to soak it all in. Suddenly a fiddle started up and she felt the sun burst over the crest of the hill.

She opened her eyes to the sound of heavy shoes hitting the wooden boards of the tavern floor in a unified rhythm. There were people dancing like she had never seen before. Their feet were so fast that they kept time with the music easily. They danced in a strict formation, arms at their sides. Suddenly they began to turn and move around each other. They joined hands and spun in a circle as the drum beat built to a heavy roll.

She was almost scared by how thrilled she was by it. They moved in perfect unison. The women wore a style of short dress that Regina had never seen. You could see their legs clearly as they swung in complex routines. The tempo built and the thundering feet on wooden boards seemed loud enough to bring the whole place down.

One man flew onto centre stage and danced to the vigorous music. He skipped the perimeter of their makeshift stage, leapt and clicked his heels behind him. He held his arms out as his feet hit the floor like lightening.

The people of the crowd cheered and clapped for him. The rest of the dancers began again behind him, all exactly on point and all smiling. Regina was overwhelmed by how much she enjoyed the peculiar spectacle.

The dance finished and flowed into a slower, softer song of fiddle and guitar. Regina looked around the crowd, people were smiling, talking, arms around each other. She had never seen people behave like this. She could hardly imagine a friendlier place. Everyone seemed to know and like each other. She looked at their scrubby faces, their poor clothes, their genuine and long lasting laughs. She drank them in. This was The Kingdom as she never saw it.

"Isn't that your dance teacher?" Zelena hissed. She turned her attention to the woman dancing. No it couldn't be. She was wearing a green dress that clung to her body and brushed her thighs as she danced in soft shoes. Her hands stayed by her side as she turned on her toes in the centre of the floor. She turned too quickly for Regina to see her face properly.

She did look just like Emma, though. Regina's heart stopped when she realised it was. She stared open mouthed at the woman who held the attention of the entire room. She looked so different.

That envy feeling crept up in her again, if that was what it was.

She wanted to take as much of this in as she could, to consume it or commit it to memory. The way her loose curls bounced on her shoulders, the speed with which she circled the dance floor, one hand confidently on her hip. Her feet moved just as quickly as the man's had in the previous dance only her steps were light, not heavy. Regina couldn't believe what she was seeing, couldn't believe the grace with which she danced, as though she weighed nothing.

Her footwork was light and intricate. She crossed ankles and tapped her toes and kicked with seemingly such ease. It was mesmerising. Regina stopped thinking to take it in. The crowd applauded certain moves or steps that looked particularly difficult. Emma broke into a wide smile and raised her arms, hailing a huge cheer from the crowd.

The music seemed to rise in challenge and she met it, increasing in speed and fluidity of movement if that was possible until the song ended in a dramatic crescendo.

People were off their seats cheering for her. Regina remained bolted to hers. Emma skipped away from the crowd as the next song began.

Regina couldn't move. Overwhelmed was an understatement. She was frozen. Even Zelena was applauding, she noticed and slammed her mouth shut, realising it had been hanging open the entire time.

The vision of Emma's legs danced again in her mind, the shape of her calves, the lightness of her feet. It was nothing like the firm, masculine strength she presented in her lessons. She thought of her tiny waist, always hidden by shirt and buttons, but not in the green dress that lined her. Her entire shape was seared into Regina's mind.

She didn't know how much longer she could ignore the way her stomach clenched at the sight of her. Her smile as the crowd cheered for her flashed into Regina's mind every time she closed her eyes.

The atmosphere seemed to change dramatically to the warm finger picking guitar and instruments that clipped a rhythm.

Regina watched the new dancer. She was elegant and her red dress clung to her skin all the way down to the small of her back where it suddenly billowed out in a clamour of beautiful ruffles that she swished about her like they were an extension of her body.

She curled around the music, swaying, stamping and wrapping her arms around the different layers of it. The music descended into the clapping rhythm of the band. The dancer curled back over herself and still somehow undulated with the music. Regina was fascinated until she caught a glimpse of Emma nearby. She sat on the floor at the edge of the circle and seemed to be getting her breath back.

Someone passed her a cup. She drank and passed it back. Regina realised everyone here knew each other. Emma's full attention went back to the dancer.

She was mesmerised by the dancing woman. Her eyes followed every swish of her dress and every flourish of her hands. She smiled at the angles at which she threw out her arms were so masculine and yet she was so feminine.

Regina felt her heart sink. Emma would never look at her like that. She wondered if her sister's envy was rubbing off on her. It was normal to crave the praise and attention of your mentor but the feeling in her stomach felt much stronger than just that.

The dance was over and Emma was gone. She felt sick.

The music returned to the flute, drums and fiddle. There was an elegant man dancing in shoes that clipped pleasingly on the floor. He seemed to be matching the drumbeats. He began pulling people on to the dance floor. Everyone seemed to know the dance. Their feet flew and stamped and kicked the air in unison. The music built furiously and the thundering of shoes on the floor boards almost hurt her ears.

Regina could feel the vibrations of their feet hammering on the floor. She felt shaken to the core. When the dance finished she tugged Zelena's cloak, wanting to go home.

"Who are…oh, is it you?" she asked, obviously so absorbed in the attention of the handsome squire who had convinced her to come here that she forgot Regina was there too in disguise.

"Yes, please let's go" Regina pleaded, and they did.


	6. Chapter 6

Pip filled the room with the plucks of his lute. The dance they were working on was, in Regina's opinion, old fashioned but still fun. It involved lots of stepping towards and away from each other, but the entire dance rested on good timing, which Emma had insisted on practicing.

Emma was in a good mood. She smiled through the dance like she really enjoyed it. She smiled at Regina when she got the tricky parts right. They met in the middle of the floor, their left hands met flat against each other as they turned shoulder to shoulder.

Every time Emma smiled Regina felt her heart fill up. It was just the approval of her mentor, she told herself. They turned and their other hands met. She liked Emma's hands. They were elegant but strong. Her right hand was slightly rougher than her left. Regina thought this might mean she was half-way decent with a sword, but why she would need to be, she didn't know.

"Ow!" Regina's foot came down on Emma's. She hadn't been concentrating. Emma hobbled backward and tried to shake it out. Pain was written all over her face.

"Pip?" She strained

"Water?" He was out if the door in a second.

"I'm sorry!" Regina cried. She had obviously given her a good stomp. This happened fairly often, but Emma had never reacted so extremely before.

"It's ok. Ow" Emma said, hopping towards the chaise.

"Here, use me" Regina put her arm around Emma's waist and helped her to the sofa.

Emma tried not to lean on her, but after a few steps she needed the support. She let herself drop to the cushion. It was pretty hard; Regina suspected it was stuffed with horsehair.

Emma unbuttoned her boot and slid it off. Regina gasped, her feet were wrapped in bandages.

"It's ok, it's not as bad as it looks" she said as she carefully rolled each white strip away. The skin underneath was pink and red raw in some places.

"Emma!" Regina put a hand on her leg instinctively to comfort her.

She put her sore foot carefully down before reaching to unbutton the other boot.

"Let me" Regina interrupted

"No it's-" Emma began, but Regina was already kneeling on the floor unbuttoning the boot and sliding it gently off before she could stop her.

She found the edge of the bandage and rolled it up carefully as Emma had done. She passed the roll of clean gauze back to Emma.

"Shall I roll these up?" She asked, tugging the hem of one of Emma's trouser legs. Emma nodded. She rolled them up in the same way she did everything, carefully and with precision. She could feel the tightness of Emma's toned calves as she rolled the fabric over them.

Regina's mind was far away, remembering how hard Emma beat the floors at night and then came in and waltzed her around this room all day. She couldn't understand how she did it.

She was rolling the second trouser leg up when Emma interrupted her thoughts.

"Where did you go?" she asked

"What?" Regina asked, her mind crashing back into the room, though her face remained neutral.

"When we were doing the step dance. You were doing really well and then you just lost your concentration. What were you thinking about?" Emma asked.

Regina had finished rolling the trousers so there was nothing to distract her. She looked up into Emma's eyes completely lost for words. She couldn't tell her the truth, could she?

 _I was thinking about the feel of your hands on my skin,_ she thought.

Emma was staring back at her with a curious look on her face. Regina's lips parted slowly when she heard a grunt from the corridor. She stood quickly, hoping to hide the blush she knew was colouring her cheeks and went out to see what the noise was.

Pip struggled down the corridor with two pales of water. He must have run all the way from the scullery with them and made good time. It was a long way and clearly no one had offered to carry anything for him.

Regina rushed to his side.

"Let me help" she said and took one of the buckets from him with both hands.

"Princess, may I assist?" A guard jumped to help her

"Yes" Regina replied "you can take Pip's bucket"

Pip was panting for breath and protested, but the bucket was taken from him.

Whether it was because he was forced into helping Pip, or the fact that Regina had helped him in the first place, she would never know, but it was abundantly clear that the guard was deeply offended by what happened and shot Pip a look of pure loathing.

They set the buckets down in front of Emma and Pip collapsed slowly onto the floor, gasping for breath. Regina was touched by his exertions to help his sister.

"Bit stiff, Pip?" Emma smirked

"Fuck you" he rasped into the floor. Emma smiled and dipped her hurt foot in a bucket.

"Wow that's cold" she said, in mingled pain and pleasure.

Regina offered her a hand and pulled her to her feet. She slid the other foot into the second bucket and hissed a breath in.

Regina watched as goosebumps covered her skin. Emma still held her hand.

"Want to dance?" she asked and Regina laughed

"Another time, perhaps" She smiled.

* * *

Regina reclined on a deep leather armchair in the library, smiling to herself and not reading the book that was open in her lap when Zelena burst into the room.

"Well well well, little sis" she said with a very satisfied look on her face.

Regina closed the book she had been not-reading and eyed her sister. This was dramatic, something terrible must have happened to someone.

"You've been keeping a little secret haven't you?" Zelena dropped into a nearby armchair.

Regina's heart leapt. How could Zelena possibly know? She hadn't even admitted it to herself. Maybe this was a trick. She hoped it was.

"And what is that?" Regina asked, feigning boredom.

"You've got more than a professional interest in half of your little dancing duo" she smiled wickedly.

Regina's face was a mask but she felt like her stomach had dropped out of her.

"Oh I'm not going to tell anyone" Zelena said "I can see the panic in your eyes, dear"

Regina tried to stop her jaw clenching but she couldn't help it. Zelena practically squealed with delight.

"This is so exciting! I haven't been this pleased for you since you developed that little crush on the stable boy" she gloated

Regina's heart sank at the mention of Daniel. It had only been a year since he and his father disappeared overnight. Cora had said he received a better work opportunity elsewhere. She couldn't imagine a better one that working for the royal family, but she chose not to investigate further, knowing her mother and choosing to remain hopeful and ignorant. Zelena had brought it up to wound and weaken her, she knew.

"Now here's the thing" Zelena was ready to lay down her terms "I very much enjoyed our little outing the other night and would like to make it through an entire evening without you spoiling it to go home early"

 _It was hardly early_ , Regina thought but kept her mouth shut.

"What if we're recognized?" Regina asked, knowing Zelena would bat the objection away in an instant but she needed time to think of some leverage if she was going to come out of this bargain unscathed.

"Oh the glamours worked a treat last time, no one recognized us. Heavens I barely recognized you. We do need to find some more fitting clothes though. I've sent one of the servants to get us dresses like they wear, said I was donating them to a couple of girls I saw in the market with nothing but rags"

"Oh yes" Regina rolled her eyes "That sounds just like you, how inconspicuous"

The glare Zelena shot her was pure venom.

"We're going, or mummy darling is going to find out all about your little love interest. How much longer do you think your lessons will continue then? There's only a month to the ball now"

Regina's heart sank further until she felt it must have fallen to the same place as her missing stomach. She felt empty.

"I'd hate to think you were unfinished, unprepared for the dancing. Besides, I'm sure you haven't even acted on it yet-"

Regina wanted to scream. How could Zelena know this? She hadn't acted on anything and she didn't intend to.

"-wouldn't want you to miss out. I'm sure you'll end up married to someone…charming. But until then you're free as a bird my love. I just want you to be happy" Zelena smiled though her words dripped with self serving malice.

Regina had hardly reacted the entire time. Should she confront her and ask her how she knew? Should she deny it? She hadn't done anything that could be proven besides stare open mouthed at her teacher like she was something to be devoured when she appeared at The Reel. She realised may have been her tell. She couldn't deny it. She would just ignore it.

"When?" she asked

Zelena sat up and clapped.

"Well, my _friend_ -" she overemphasized so Regina knew exactly the squiring 'friend' she was talking about "is currently away for a tournament, so it will be next week at the earliest. Perhaps you should bring your own friend" she rose and flounced out of the room, turning to give Regina a parting smile that bordered on lascivious.

Regina grimaced. What Zelena did in private was her own business. She couldn't believe she was being dragged into it without even having done anything. Maybe she should do something to earn the predicament she was in, at least then it might be worth it.

Her mind wandered to Emma's touch at her lower back, the way her body bounced in that green dress, the glint in her eyes when Regina impressed her.

The door slammed and broke Regina's reverie.

"Sorry Your Highness, I didn't know you were here" one of the maids squeaked in apology.

"It's quite alright" Regina replied, her own voice low and rumbling in comparison "carry on your business"

"Thank you miss" she curtseyed and came to tend the fire.

Regina watched her. She didn't think the fire could be too difficult to manage. Throw some wood on it and be done. The maid seemed to be taking great care over it. She turned each log so it would burn all the way through. _Very economical_ , Regina noted. She applied coal too and a new log. Regina had no idea where the logs would be kept. She looked around the room and saw none, only books. She smiled to herself, thinking how funny it was to have a fire in a room essentially full of tinder.

 _If I ever need to burn the palace down, this would be a great place to start,_ she mused.

When the maid was done she swept the fire debris away and stood.

"Can I get you anything, ma'am?" she asked

Regina thought for a moment.

"What is the weather expected to be like tomorrow?" She asked

"It is supposed to be a very fine day, ma'am" she said

"Thank you" Regina replied "that is all"

The maid curtseyed and scurried from the room, like a scared little mouse.

Tomorrow Regina would not be dancing, she would walk in the grounds and forget all about Emma Swan, her pretty laugh and outrageous dimples.


	7. Chapter 7

Regina walked down a long, winding path away from the palace. She hadn't walked this way for a long time. It was just a dirt track compacted by years of use. Some used it for a horse-track if they didn't want to use the main thoroughfares.

She liked the crunch of the gravelly dirt under her feet. She nudged rocks out of the way and liked the noise they made as stone fell on stone.

She tried to identify birds she saw. Goldfinch, blackbird, maybe a skylark but she only caught a glimpse of it so couldn't be sure.

The morning light filtered through the fresh new leaves that sprung from seemingly everywhere. She saw a flash of white and turned to see young buck racing across a field. In the distance she heard the cry of a pheasant. She breathed it all in deeply and let it out.

Even the dark pine forest was bristling with new green needles, nests being built and the scurry of busy squirrels. She took a moment to appreciate the view like it soothed her soul just to witness it.

 _This was an excellent idea,_ she internally congratulated herself.

The cultivated gardens of the palace were so rigid and constricting in comparison to this accidental, wild beauty. A tiny wren landed on a branch nearby and she smiled.

"Good morning" she said to it before it disappeared with a peep in a swish of brown.

She heard voices approaching and turned to see if she should move off the path for a horse or cart.

Her breath caught in her chest, it was Emma in her blue cloak and one of the girls from the stables. Lucy, was it? Her curly red hair was bundled underneath a brown cap that matched her uniform, though a lock fell down by her face. She was talking animatedly to Emma who was smiling in return.

Envy rose up inside Regina. She knew it really was envy this time. What was Lucy even doing here? Why wasn't she in the stables?

"Good morning" Emma smiled at her as they approached. Her golden curls shone like sunlight itself. Regina didn't respond.

"Majesty" Lucy bowed rather than curtseyed, as she wore trousers and it would have looked silly. Regina automatically nodded at her in reply.

"Miss Swan asked to be brought down here ma'am, I hope you don't mind. Seems tae have a special interest in this part of the grounds" she said with a grin that Regina didn't understand.

"How singular" Regina replied

"Yes ma'am, rare as sorrel this one." She tipped her head in Emma's direction "Is there anything I can do for you ma'am?" she asked

"No, no, you can go" Regina replied.

Lucy bowed again, winked at Emma and turned to run up the hill.

 _What did that mean?_ Regina had half a mind to call her back and demand that she explain herself. Emma laughed.

"Charming" she said, turning to walk with Regina.

"What?" Regina asked.

Was she charming indeed? She hoped her irritation wasn't obvious. Why was she so possessive of Emma? Was she always like this with people she liked? She tried to think about other people she liked but no one came to mind. Maybe that was why she felt a particular claim over Emma, she thought.

"Rare as sorrel" Emma said "do you know anything about sorrel?"

"No" Regina said, thrown by the odd question.

She didn't care about sorrel, she wanted to know everything Emma and Lucy talked about on the way down the hill, but how could she ask that? She silently reprimanded herself, what was wrong with her? Emma was talking to a servant, so what?

"I know exactly two things about sorrel" Emma continued "one, it tastes revolting and two, it grows absolutely everywhere" she finished with a laugh

Regina frowned.

"So she was making fun of me?" she asked

"I think she was making fun of me, hoping it would go over your head" Emma said, nudging a fallen branch from their path.

"That's pretty smart" Regina conceded, impressed against her will.

"Ha, not impudent?" Emma asked

"Well yes, that goes without saying" Regina replied. She looked up at Emma who gave her a wry smile.

"So no lesson today, then?" Emma asked

Regina sighed and tipped her head to one side. She wasn't sure what to say. She hadn't expected to see Emma again for at least another day. She had hoped she would come up with a decent excuse by then.

"It's ok if you need a break" Emma said "It must be nice to be able to walk around again"

It was, Regina realised. That would have been an excellent excuse to give if she had thought of it.

"And the weather is lovely, it's nice to get out an appreciate it" Emma added

 _Another excellent reason._ Regina nodded.

"So what's the real reason?" Emma asked

Regina stopped walking and smiled incredulously

"What was wrong with the two you just gave?" she asked

"Oh nothing" Emma stepped into her way on the path "but neither of them are the reason you didn't turn up today"

She searched Regina's expression. Regina frowned back at her and fought the impulse to look away. Emma narrowed her eyes. For a moment they faced each other down. Regina having the literal higher ground stood it even against Emma's penetrating look.

"Fine, don't tell me" Emma said and moved back to Regina's side so they could resume walking.

They didn't speak, but Regina found nature filled the gap for them. Birds sang overhead and the pheasant called in the distance again.

"Why don't the servants like you?" Regina asked out of the blue. Emma laughed.

"I don't know. It's always different. In some placed they're really friendly. I mean, Lucy was friendly but the guards in the palace, wow. Pip told me one tripped him up with his staff the other day for no reason" Emma mused.

Regina gasped. Who would dare treat palace guests in such a way?

"Which one?" she asked

"Are you going to have him fired?" Emma asked in return

"Maybe" Regina grimaced and Emma laughed again. It came so easily to her.

"Then I won't tell you" she said. Regina rolled her eyes.

They continued to walk in silence. If Emma had her hair tied up they could have been mistaken for a courting couple out for a walk, Regina mused. She liked walking side by side. They weren't teacher and pupil out here, or royal and subject, they were just two people.

"Are we going to go back to the castle at any point?" Emma asked after a while.

"You can go whenever you like, Miss Swan. You're not my prisoner." Regina replied, the corner of her mouth curling.

"Oh but I am" Emma replied playfully. Regina's chest was suddenly filled a flutter.

"You're my walking advertisement, remember? I need to make sure you get back to the palace in one piece. Imagine you twisted your ankle out here" Emma said

"I could still twist it even with you here" Regina countered, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth at the silliness of their conversation.

"Well at least I'd be here to carry you back up the hill" Emma said.

Regina almost felt herself pressed against Emma's chest as the image flashed vividly into her mind. The idea made her blush and she turned away to hide it.

"Um, I'm sorry Regina, I didn't mean to offend you" Emma said, dropping her silly tone immediately.

"You didn't" Regina said.

She didn't know if it was Emma's presence or their physical distance from the imposing palace but something about this moment gave her the pluck to ask something that had been bothering her for a while.

"Can I ask you something?" Regina asked. Emma hesitated for a moment and nodded. She swallowed and watched Regina almost nervously.

"The other night" she began. Emma visibly tensed up at the mention of Regina's appearance at the tavern. "How did you recognize me?" she asked

A wrinkle appeared on Emma's forehead.

"Er, I saw your face" she replied. Regina stared at her.

Cora had taught her and Zelena magic since they were young. No one knew about it and they were encouraged to keep it to themselves. Regina weighed up whether she could tell Emma the truth about the glamour or not. Would she be scared of magic? And of her? Would she leave?

"Ok" Regina said and turned to go back up the path

"What?" Emma asked "Wait, what is it?" she asked, chasing to catch her up.

"It doesn't matter" Regina said.

She wanted to know how Emma had recognised her, she wanted to know if she had magic. She wanted to know everything about her, but she was too scared. The risk was too great.

"Regina" Emma touched her arm to stop her.

Regina stopped. Would Emma dare behave this way in the palace, in full view of the guards? Calling her by her first name and touching her beyond what was required in their lessons. Regina wanted to push her away. Who did she think she was?

"What happened? We were talking and then it's like a wall went up" Emma said, her eyes searching Regina's face again.

"Would you stop that?" Regina snapped

"Stop what?" Emma implored

"Stop looking at me like that, I feel like I can't hide anything from you" Regina tried to distance herself from the woman before her.

"What do you have to hide?" Emma asked, almost with a smile, as if she knew the answer would be 'nothing'.

It infuriated Regina, she had no idea how hard she had to work to hide herself for her own protection.

"You're not entitled to know everything about me. I don't know anything about you" Regina dismissed.

"What do you want to know?" Emma asked earnestly

Regina paused for a moment to think of one of the less intrusive things she wanted to know about her.

"Why is this important to you, beyond your livelihood?" She asked

"Because it's always young women who need help" Emma replied easily.

Regina raised her eyebrows.

"I mean, that's not what I meant" Emma blushed and brushed her hair away from her face.

"I have no idea, I'm sure" Regina hoped that sounded convincing, though unwelcome images of Emma and various princesses came to her mind.

"I just want to give people their best chance" Emma tried to clarify "these things are important for them"

"Very charitable" Regina responded, looking away up the path.

"What is the problem?" Emma raised her voice, clearly at the end of her patience with princess tantrums. "Why do you do this? We're good and talking about real things and suddenly a wall goes up, you disappear and I have to work so hard for you to let me back in. What is wrong with you?"

Regina stared back at her. Emma looked at the ground and put her hands on her hips.

"I'm sorry" she said "I didn't mean that"

"Yes you did" Regina replied "You're used to working with spoiled brats, I imagine you don't get the chance to tell them so to their faces very often. You may as well get it out now while there are no guards around to drag you away."

"You're not spoiled" Emma said "I mean, you do have a frightening amount of wealth at your disposal but you're not…horrible. There's a reason all the servants like you. You're not excessive or unkind. You're lovely, actually. You speak to them like they're people. I know you hate that I speak to you like that, I'll stop if you want"

"No. I like it." Regina replied "It makes me feel…normal, I don't know. Like myself."

Emma gave her a look she hadn't seen before. It was almost hopeful. Emma's green eyes filled her up with the same calm she got from the scenery that surrounded them. She forgot where she was for a moment.

"It's horribly inappropriate, of course" Regina said, remembering they were in the middle of a conversation. Emma's smile widened into a full grin.

"Well, I don't have the monopoly on inappropriate. I've never crashed a ball like you crashed The Reel" Emma teased

"The Reel?" Regina asked, her mind still miles away.

"The pub you came to. The Reel Around The Sun" Emma said

"Oh yes, I see. Well I wasn't there by choice. I am painfully appropriate, I'll have you know" she replied haughtily.

Emma laughed again. It lifted her heart just to hear it.

"Painfully? You mean you want to be inappropriate but you keep it under wraps?" Emma asked, Regina laughed this time

"Yes I suppose so." She said

"I can't imagine that! What is one inappropriate thing you want to do?" Emma asked, stepping into her way on the path again. Regina looked up at Emma. Her eyes sparkled with amusement. They seemed to reflect all of Spring back at her.

A hundred inappropriate things came to Regina's mind, most of them involving Emma. She glanced at her lips without meaning to. Emma didn't miss it. Her eyes flashed and searched Regina's. Her mouth fell open. Regina looked away and pushed past her. Had she just laid all her cards out on the table without even meaning to?

"I…Regina wait" Emma followed. She didn't respond

"Regina wait!" Emma tried again

"I don't take orders from you" Regina said, without looking at her

"Please" Emma tried

Regina kept walking. Emma stopped and dropped her arms to her sides.

"There you go again" she called after her "the wall, there it is. How many times do I have to bang my head against it this time before it goes away again?"

Regina kept walking, banishing various tasteless replies from her mind.

"Why do you do this?" Emma's voice was further away. She obviously wasn't following her anymore.

Regina turned to see Emma further down the path. Her own dark cloak billowed around her as the wind picked up.

 _Why do this? Why shut people out? Especially people I like?_ she thought

"Call it self-preservation" Regina snarled and headed back to the palace.


	8. Chapter 8

**2 months ago**

"Sir, I've a good mind to take you outside" the barkeep threatened, through his bushy grey beard

"Don't worry about it" Emma told him.

She turned back to the trader who had used a filthy pick up line on her. She was sure she had heard worse, but she couldn't remember when.

"You wanna know where I bury my treasure, pirate?" she asked. He perked up, despite the accusation. The barkeep's frown deepened. Pip took a drink and waited with a smile.

Emma leant into the trader's ear and whispered. He jumped back from her, spilling his own drink on himself in shock.

"You…that's…" he tripped backwards over a chair.

Emma smiled back at him and drank victoriously.

"Not your first time in a trade hub, then?" a young man from the other side of the bar asked as he put empty tankards back on a shelf.

"No it isn't, though creeps like this guy pop up everywhere" she set her drink down and looked at Pip.

"What did you say to him?" The young man asked eagerly.

Emma smiled.

"Kid, you are far too sweet and innocent to know that." She said, though she guessed he was only a few years younger than her.

"You turning in?" Pip asked.

Emma nodded.

"Hey" a deep voice said from behind them.

Emma turned to see one of the palace footmen

"Hey" she smiled at him. He looked strange in normal clothes instead of his uniform

"Can I get you two a drink?" He asked. Emma looked as Pip who smiled

"Sure" she said, wary of how this one was going to turn out.

She had been right to be cautious. The footman's name was James and he was in a very chatty mood. He was keen to tell them all about the dangers of palace life. He told them when to avoid the stables (when the jousters were in residence), which guards to mind (more or less all of them) but his favourite topic was the Queen. He hated her. He told them tales of evil deeds and dark magic, how she bent the poor king to her will. He seemed disappointed when they didn't join in the badmouthing of their new employer.

Emma didn't think they had actually learned anything worth knowing

"Why is it always the queens they hate?" Pip asked when they got back to their room a few hours later.

"Cause the king is always home grown, they want to be on his side. The women are the ones traded like livestock between them. They're the _outsiders_ " she emphasised the last word and he laughed.

"Well, that I get" he said

"Always magic too, like they think it's the root of all their problems" Emma said, pulling her boots off.

"Well for those who misuse it, it often is" Pip replied

"Except that they use to try to solve their existing problems" Emma argued

"Which, when they get thoroughly fucked by magic, they realise were not that bad in the beginning" he said

This was the debate they always had. Was magic intrinsically good or bad? Did it depend on the person? On their choices? On how and why they used their magic?

"I'm turning in" he said

"You're staying here tonight?" Emma was surprised. She went behind the screen to change to her bed clothes.

"Sadly yes" he replied "the one I had my eye on got a little too merry. Maybe next time"

Emma laughed at her lotharios brother. Everywhere they went it was always the same.

"Well don't snore" she said, climbing into her bed on the opposite wall to his.

"I don't snore" he replied with a smirk

"You know what I mean" she threw a pillow across the room. "Don't fucking whistle"

"I can't help it if I'm sleeping!" He threw it back.

"If I wake up, you wake up. I want to rest well tonight, the work starts tomorrow" she blew out the candle by her bed

"What do you think about the princess?" He asked, blowing his out too.

Emma paused.

"I don't know. I think she's going to be hard work, but I think it's going to be worth it" she said

"She shouldn't be using her leg yet" Pip said

"I don't think she has a choice" Emma said, feeling there was more to that story that she would find out later.

* * *

 **Three weeks before the ball**

"So" Pip began once they were in the practice room and safely away from prying ears. "What's up?"

"Nothing's up" Emma said, hanging her cloak on the back of the trunk.

"Liar" he said, folding his own.

She rolled her eyes at him.

"Does this have anything to do with the princess?" he asked with a smug look.

"You don't know what you're talking about" she said, starting to stretch

"You're a terrible liar" he laughed and surveyed the instruments laid out on the trestle table.

Emma didn't respond. She looked out of the window and she stretched her arms. She rolled her shoulders, tried to concentrate on what her body was telling her it needed.

"Emma" Pip said, in a softer voice.

Her stomach lurched, she knew what was coming. She knew she had been too informal with Regina, too caring about her progress, she put too much of herself into it this time. Pip had her pegged.

"I've got it under control" she told him, unsure if that was true or not.

"We'll only be here a few more weeks, keep fucking that stable girl you met yesterday and you'll be fine" he said. She felt a pang of guilt.

"Oh you can talk, I've hardly seen you outside of this room the whole time we've been here" she deflected

"Yeah" she heard him smile as he spoke "the difference is, when I sleep with people it's because I want to, not because I need a distraction"

Sometimes she hated how well her brother knew her.

"I don't need a distraction." She defended "Whatever, she had a good time"

"So I heard" he said

She turned on her heel to look at him, eyes wide. That news travelled quickly.

"I was actually going to sleep in our room at The Reel last night, 'til I heard her screaming through the door. Lucky I did, I think I'd rather die than witness whatever you were doing to her" he returned

Emma didn't laugh. She didn't smile. She wasn't pleased with herself. She felt worthless. Tears filled her eyes as she remembered how she had consumed that girl like her life depended on it. How in the end she had been watching from outside herself as her body reacted mechanically to Lucy's reciprocation. How hollow it had been. How empty she felt.

"Hey" he said, an edge of worry in his voice.

He didn't need to tell her how dangerous it was to get mixed up with royalty. The heads of commoners on spikes, or through nooses were nothing to the bloody lot of them.

"We'll be out of here soon" was the best consolation he could offer.

"Yeah" Emma replied, not meeting his eyes. She turned to face the window again and continued to stretch. She wiped her eyes and forced herself to focus.

 _A few more weeks_ she thought and pictured Regina riding away in a carriage with a faceless prince from a faraway empire. She felt her chest constrict.

Pip began his own warm up on the fiddle.

"Good morning" Regina said as she entered the room.

"Good morning, Princess" Pip replied without stopping his warm up song. He bowed and she nodded at him with a smile.

Emma was stretched across the floor. Her hands grasped the foot in front of her and her nose touched the floor. She closed her eyes.

"Morning" she said in what she hoped was her usual tone.

"Good morning" Regina replied, properly.

Emma came up, slowly exhaling and opened her eyes.

Regina was looking out of the window. Emma's eyes slid down her slate gray dress. Probably a rag compared to the other things in her dressing room, but she looked incredible. Her hair was drawn back in a bun today, instead of the usual loose dark curls.

She looked sophisticated. Emma pulled herself up.

"Foxtrot today" Emma said

"Fine" Regina replied

"You chose a good dress for it" Emma said.

Regina turned to face her. Her dark eyes seemed to rake her skin all the way down her body and up again. Emma almost shivered.

"You ready?" she asked.

Regina shrugged. She was having a down day, Emma guessed. Some days she was up and excited to learn, others she was distracted by her ominous fate. Emma could hardly blame her. Her heart ached for her predicament. Sometimes she and Pip went hungry, but at least they decided where they were when they did.

"Right, formal foxtrot. Easy, boring and mysteriously popular" she said. "Pip?" He started up.

Emma ignored the shuddering feeling in her chest. She took Regina's hand and turned in to receive her.

"Head back" Emma said, as they stepped and turned easily together "you have to imagine your partner has the worst breath, or if you're unlucky you might not have to imagine"

Regina didn't smile. Emma's head was also supposed to be back too, but she couldn't take her eyes off her partner. Her eyes wandered down her neck as her mind wandered to the moment of candid intimacy they accidentally shared on the path the day before. Could she have mistaken the look in Regina's eyes?

"Emma" Pip interrupted, though he kept playing.

She and Regina both looked at him. Emma guessed he had noticed where she had been looking and quite rightly wanted her to stop. Regina looked at Emma. She felt the weight of her gaze press against her skin.

"Something a bit lighter, maybe?" Emma said to Pip.

"Ferny Hill?" He asked, stopping his fiddle.

"Is that not a bit fast for a foxtrot?" she asked. She felt Regina's arms slip down hers and away from her grasp while they spoke. She let her go without looking.

"It doesn't have to be, though you're liable to break into a jig in the middle of it" he jibed. She turned to him, hands on hips. He began playing and clipping his feet around imitating the dancers from The Reel. Emma laughed.

"You look ridiculous" she said

"You could foxtrot to this" he said, maniacally tapping his feet at odds. Even Regina broke into a laugh. Emma tried to speak but cracked up at his idiotic face, trying to play the song and dance at the same time.

When they had calmed down, Regina was smiling at least. Emma felt better.

"Ok, I've been putting this off for ages, but it's necessary to talk about. Pip, you wanna-?" she asked

"Yep" he cut her off and practically leapt from the room, knowing exactly what was coming.

"Ok" Emma's heart banged again. Regina was watching her with mixed curiosity and nerves.

"This is awkward" Emma began. "How old are you?"

"Nineteen" Regina replied

"You don't have any brothers?" Emma asked

"No" Regina said

"And you don't have any male friends at court?" Emma tried

"It wouldn't be proper" Regina replied

"No. Right." Emma said "Have you ever had a boyfriend?" she tried her very last option

"Have you lost your mind?" Regina asked

"Ok, it's just…" she trailed away. She took a deep breath and decided to plunge

"There are certain realities about male physiology that need to be addressed if you're going to be in such close contact with them" she burst out, surprised at her own eloquence. How the fuck was she supposed to tell a virgin princess that men get hard-ons when they dance sometimes?

Regina's look didn't change. She wasn't getting it. Emma rubbed her forehead.

"Um. Ok, so you're dancing pretty close to the guy, right? Like the foxtrot" she held up her arms and took Regina into position as if they were going to dance.

"You're pretty close together sometimes" She cringed internally. Regina looked down. Their hips touched. Emma's right leg was sort of between hers, and vice versa. Regina looked up.

"So?" she asked

 _Wow, sex ed is really not a thing with these people_ Emma thought. It drove her crazy that the aristocracy didn't think it was important to educate their daughters about this. These women would get the shock of their lives on their wedding nights.

"You're beautiful" she said. Regina looked at her like she had definitely lost her mind and like she might slap Emma if she continued in this vein "and he's…just human. Things, in that area might, change"

The penny dropped. Regina practically pushed her away.

"You need to know this!" Emma said in response to the look of pure contempt Regina shot her.

"Imagine if it was the middle of the ball and it happened and you didn't know what was happening. You could end up embarrassing a lot more people than just the two of you" Emma felt her cheeks burn.

"Well at least you have the good grace to blush" Regina replied "that's disgusting. Can't they control it?"

"Not really" Emma said. She almost asked Regina if she could control her own reaction, but thought better of it. That would definitely end in a slap and she would have deserved it.

Emma rolled her sleeves up. She was so warm now. At least the conversation was over.

"Are you sure it would be noticeable?" Regina asked

 _Ok, not quite over._ Emma hummed.

"I mean, it depends, but I would think so" Emma ruffled her hair

"I just can't imagine it" Regina said.

Emma couldn't meet her eyes.


	9. Chapter 9

**Earlier that morning**

It was a bright, clear morning. Lucy cut across the sparkling, dew soaked grass to the kitchen door.

"Get out of here, you're filthy!" Mrs Tipping flapped at her with a tea towel.

She hopped out of the way.

"I've nae started work yet, I'm clean!" She protested, stealing an apple from a hessian sack on the floor.

"You're still filthy" Ruby quipped as she passed with a tea tray. Lucy winked in reply.

"Gods this is sour" she said and dropped the apple in her bag for one of the horses "can I have some porridge, Tip? I didn't have time tae eat at home"

Footmen and kitchen staff bustled around in their elaborate morning routine, all seeming synchronised with each other.

"Why not, Lucinda? Where were you last night?" Mrs Tipping asked, pointing to a pot on the stove.

"Ooh the tales I could tell yer'd curl Watt's hair, Tip" She winked at a young kitchen apprentice.

"Watt, lampreys for the luncheon, fetch them now" Mrs Tipping said

They protested and Lucy smiled. When they were just out of the door Lucy smiled wickedly.

"I was with the dancer come to teach Miss Regina" Lucy said barely able to contain herself.

"You never!" James gawped at her, lowering the shoe he had been polishing to his side. She bit her lip and nodded.

"Bloody hell" he said "Fair play to you, Luce"

"Mind your mouth!" Mrs Tipping scolded

Watt returned out of breath with a bucket of lampreys.

"I never took her for a whoopsie" they said with a cheeky smile.

"Don't say stuff like that, Watt. S'not nice." Lucy said "anyway, that's where I was. All fucking night" she grinned again and twisted her spoon in her hands as she skipped sideways to the stove.

"More like all night fucking, hey?" James laughed

"Oi!" Mrs Tipping threatened them both with a wooden spoon

"Oh yeah" Lucy said "dancers got stamina" she smiled naughtily, he whistled in reply.

"Why don't you look bad if you got no sleep?" Watt asked

"You don't want to know, kid" she said and Watt huffed.

"I swear to gods" she leant in and whispered to James "she did things to me as made me forget my own name"

She tingled at the thought of it.

"And you thought she were after the princess when she came wanderin' around yesterday." James shook his head and continued polishing his shoe.

"I know! I only flirted with her cause I'd nothing tae lose and look at me now, I've had so many orgasms I've not even got the decency to be tired" she beamed

"Oi! I don't want Watt learning this smut off you two" Mrs Tipping shouted at them but couldn't help a smile at Lucy, which was returned.

"I'm twelve!" Watt protested

Lucy put her arm around them "and when it comes your turn you'll have the pick of all of them, you handsome little devil" she kissed their face and they laughed.

She picked up her porridge and shovelled it gratefully into her mouth.

"Well I have it on good authority from Bim, that's Miss Zelena's new dress maid, Miss Regina's got an interest in t'other one, what's he called?" James asked

"Pip?" Lucy asked. He didn't seem like her type, she thought, far too smug and too much of a reputation in town.

"I suppose it's about time after poor Daniel" Mrs Tipping said.

"Aye" Lucy said, placing her spoon back in her bowl sadly, remembering her friend's swift disappearance and Regina's gloom.

"The ball is coming up though!" Watt said, excitedly "She'll find her prince there and they'll live happily ever after!" they mixed a bowl of flour and smiled with ease.

Lucy, James and Mrs Tipping exchanged grave, knowing glances. Lucy kissed the top of Watt's head.

"Aye she will, gods willing" she said.

Mrs Tipping took the empty bowl from her.

"I'd best be off" Lucy said "Rocinante needs just about all the attention I can give him"

"I bet the last thing you need now is a good ride" Ruby passed by on her way out again

"Ruby!" Mrs Tipping called in protest. Lucy laughed.

"Ta for the porridge, Tip" she said, disappearing the same way Ruby went.

* * *

"I can't believe this is happening" Emma said, holding a small eureka lemon from the fruit bowl in the corner of the room.

"You started this" Regina said. Emma heard the suppressed laugh in her voice and sighed heavily.

She unbuttoned her breeches with her back to Regina and slid the lemon into her pants. She did the buttons up again and turned round with her arms out.

Regina looked at her, head tilted to one side.

"It doesn't look that different" she said.

 _Well it fucking feels different!_ Emma wanted to shout. She walked over and took her hand. Regina drew tentatively into her. She raised an eyebrow at Emma.

"Feel the difference now?" she asked

Regina didn't answer, she just pursed her lips.

They moved again, though there was no music. Emma lead Regina around the room, twirled her as usual, though the new pressure on her forced her to move her more carefully than before.

Regina hesitated for a second before a step and her thigh pressed into her. The noise that issued from Emma was involuntary. Regina's mouth fell open in surprise.

Emma's heart leapt into her throat. For a moment they just stared at each other.

"See why you have to be careful?" she asked, looking down into Regina's inscrutable eyes.

They stood still, pressed together.

Emma felt frozen hard to the ground. Her feet wouldn't move. She felt dread climb up from her stomach, reaching up through her. She felt it's icy grip on her heart. Regina slid her thigh into her again and she gasped. Regina's eyes searched Emma's when she let them open again. Her heart banged in her chest. She felt sure Regina must be able to hear it.

"Re-" she started, but Regina rolled her hip into her this time.

She dropped the hand that held Emma's arm and placed it on her waist to steady her. Emma gasped again and slammed her eyes shut again. Her fingers dug into Regina's skin.

It was just a fucking lemon, but she was so fired up already and the constant, moving pressure made a big difference. Something in her mind short circuited and she couldn't even address that Regina had just done this to her by accident and then on purpose. She tried desperately to control her breathing so she could speak, tell her to stop. This couldn't happen.

"Do-" she started and groaned into it as Regina moved against her again, though this time she pressed back.

Emma shuddered and opened her eyes. Their noses almost touched. Regina's eyes were so deep she almost lost herself in them. They were filled with wonder, fear and something unidentifiable, maybe lust.

Emma could smell her skin. She smelled like decadence and luxury. She always tried so hard not to look at her lips, they were full and looked so soft. They were crying out to be kissed. Emma's fingertips lightly brushed her cheek. She ran her thumb down the scar she had desperately wanted to kiss for weeks. She was gentle at first then drew her thumb down over her lower lip, opening her mouth slightly.

It was too much. Neither of them knew who moved first but suddenly their lips were together. Regina moaned softly in relief. The movement crushed the lemon into Emma and she broke away and cried out.

The door opened noisily and banged against the wall. They leapt apart and Emma turned away to hide her shame. She tried to catch her breath.

"Princess" Pip's voice shook "that might be enough for one lesson"

For a moment no one moved.

Emma heard the swish of Regina's dress and her footsteps out of the room and down the hall. Pip closed the door slowly. She felt every creak of wood, every cry of the hinges like it was nails scratching down her skin. He didn't speak. There was nothing to say. A moment later she was heading for the door.

"Where are you going?" Pip asked

"The stables" she replied without a second glance.

* * *

"Morning" Lucy said seeing Emma at the stable door.

Her uniform was brown riding trousers, a dark bodice and white shirt. Her hair was tied up today, coincidentally not too differently from Regina's.

Emma swept her up and kissed her right away. The noise Lucy let out was one of surprise, followed by one of enjoyment. They fell through the door to the bridle room. Emma slid Lucy's hand down the front of her trousers. Thankfully she'd had the presence of mind to lose the lemon somewhere along the way.

"God you are riled up" Lucy said, feeling Emma already soaking.

"Fuck me" she managed "now"

Lucy did as she was told. She went to kiss Emma but she turned her head. She opened Emma's shirt with one hand, kissed her breasts and sucked and pinched her nipples.

All Emma could think about was the smell of Regina's skin, the taste of her kiss that she was desperate to keep in her mouth, the look in her eye when she knowingly crushed against her.

Emma held onto one of the pegs that lined the wall above her head.

She strangled her own noises as reached climax, she wouldn't let herself have even that. Her body was taught and bucked in the final throws of it.

Lucy withdrew slowly. She kissed Emma's neck then stood back and looked at her handiwork.

Emma still held the hook for support. Breathing rapidly she pressed her face against her arm. She thought she must have looked a mess, though she caught Lucy looking at her like she wanted to eat her for dinner.

"Lucy?" Regina's voice shocked them both.


	10. Chapter 10

Dinner that evening was a quiet affair. There were no guests to entertain as the jousting tournament in a nearby town was still going on. The king was attending the last day so it was only Cora and her two daughters seated at the grand table.

"How are your dancing lessons going, sister?" Zelena asked.

Cora caught something in the way she spoke and narrowed her eyes at her other daughter.

"Fine" Regina replied without hesitation

"Do elaborate" Zelena added innocently

"Is something the matter?" Cora asked

"No, mother" Regina replied.

She desperately hoped Zelena had no more information on her than she did a couple of days ago. She was taunting her with the little she knew already.

"Zelena how is Sir Dorin getting along in the jousting?" Regina shot back.

Her sister's countenance fell. She would have no idea of course. Her interest in Sir Dorin only extended as far as his squire.

"Oh how you do jump around conversationally" Cora spoke before Zelena could.

She just glared at Regina who sliced her veal triumphantly. She could not have less of an appetite but appearances were important.

"I believe you rode again for the first time today, Regina" Cora changed the subject completely.

"Yes mother" Regina replied with a smile.

She remembered the brief exchange she had with a very flushed Lucy before taking Rocinante out that morning.

 _"M-Majesty" she had stammered "you, you haven't ridden in months"_

 _"Yes Lucy, I'm well aware of that. How quickly can you have him saddled?" Regina asked as she took her riding hat and crop from the shelf they had lived on, unused for too long._

 _"He'll be ready in no time, miss. I was away to take him for a hack." She replied_

 _"Do you have his bridle to hand?" Regina asked_

 _"I'll get it, ma'am" she had practically ran to the storeroom to retrieve it._

 _Regina thought she heard whispers, but who else would have been there at that time of day? She cleared her throat and the whispers stopped._

 _"Here it is, miss." Lucy bound out of the room and passed it over with one hand. Regina noticed she was keeping her left hand behind her._

 _"Do you need anything else, miss?" she asked, blush creeping up her neck._

 _"Besides the horse?" Regina asked._

 _"Right" Lucy went to it._

 _"Is everything alright, dear?" Regina asked following her to her steed's stable. She glanced at the closed door to the bridle room as she passed and noticed Lucy grab a towel to wipe her hands as they went._

 _The thought that came to Regina's mind shocked her. It couldn't be. Had she just interrupted Lucy being intimate with someone while she was supposed to be working? Her mind leapt to her and Emma just moments ago. She supposed it was hypocritical of her to be as shocked as she was._

 _Before long she was on her horse and away. She felt more like herself than she had in weeks._

 _"Come on, Rocinante, let's go" and he broke into a gallop at her words._

"It was wonderful" she smiled genuinely. She always felt free when she rode. Cora seemed satisfied and Zelena, delightfully disappointed.

* * *

Emma turned on her toes to Pip's playful flute. He smiled as he played, watching her. She hadn't yet tied up her hair for the lesson and it bounced on her shoulders.

One hand on her hip and one straight by her side she skipped airily around the room, fluttering in every turn, until Pip broke into something livelier. She tapped and kicked in time, laughing as she went. She no longer flew, she stomped and clicked her heels in the air.

He sped up the rhythm in challenge and she met it, speeding up her measured footwork. This was their old game. Emma spun on the spot as she tapped the wooden beams and kicked the air. They sped up with each other and she laughed, raising her hands above her head.

The door to the room flew open with a crash. Pip continued playing as guards went straight for him.

Emma turned to him then froze on the spot. She couldn't move a muscle but for her eyes that looked frantically around.

"Get off me" Pip said as they shoved him towards the door.

Emma tried to shout his name but the sound was wrangled from her. She heard a smack as he hit the ground. The flute rolled past her on the floor.

She struggled with all her strength. A formless, almost animal noise issued from her as she watched him dragged from the room.

The Queen entered the room and Emma dropped to her knees gasping for air.

"Good morning, dear" Cora said cordially.

Emma tried to get up. Cora held her hand out and she was slammed into the floor again.

"No dear, no need to get up" she looked around the modest room.

"Pip" she said "that's a fairly common name, is it not?"

"Yes, Majesty" Emma said quietly, watching her from where she knelt on the floor.

"Tell me, what is it short for?" She asked

"Philip, ma'am" Emma replied

"Not Pippin?" Cora asked, circling Emma and coming back to stand in front of her.

"No ma'am" she said, fighting the instinct to keep her eyes on Cora at all times. She kept facing forwards.

"Not…Pinocchio?" she asked, lightly.

 _Oh no, oh no, oh no…_ Emma thought

"That's what I thought. Not your brother at all, is he? He doesn't have any family does he? Because he wasn't born, he was made" Cora stated.

Emma didn't speak. Cora seemed to be enjoying herself. She saw no reason to fight just yet, she didn't know what she wanted.

"There are any number of crimes I could try and hang Mr Pip on, if I wanted to give him a trial at all which at this point I would consider extremely charitable" she smiled at Emma.

"The thing is dear, my daughter has a very important ball coming up. She is going to secure her future and the future of this kingdom in one night, and bring honour to her family."

Emma's heart hurt.

"Yes dear, the life of royalty is not an easy one. I'm sure you know that, you have plenty of experience interacting with our class, do you not?" Cora asked

"Yes ma'am" Emma replied

"So you know nothing can ever come of my daughter's…interest in you" Cora fixed her eyes on her

Emma felt sick. She remembered the feel of Regina's lips on her own.

"A little girl's crush, dear, nothing more. But still, a little crush that could harm her chances of a profitable union. You see how it could turn into a big problem." Cora paused to take in the diminutive stance of her opponent

Emma's knees started to ached. She wanted to stand up and look into the eyes of the woman threatening her. The way she spoke about Regina sickened her. She wasn't a little girl, she was a grown woman for gods' sake.

"I know you are a professional. I have to say I admire a woman who can make something of herself. You have an exceptional talent and I would hate for all your hard work to go to waste." Cora said

 _That seemed genuine enough._ Emma still didn't speak.

"Musicians, however are ten to a penny." Cora said

There it was. That was the threat. She was going to hold Pinocchio as her hostage, her insurance. Poor Pip.

"I'm sure you get my meaning, dear. I will release Mr Pip and absolve his crimes in this kingdom on the day of the ball. I don't want either of you here any longer than necessary. This is providing you hold up your end of the bargain of course." She smiled coldly

"Which is, ma'am?" Emma asked

"You will make no attempt to romantically engage with my precious little daughter, nor will you influence or interfere with her notions of the ball" Cora said "Or poor Mr Pip will be a real boy no more"

Emma tasted bile at the back of her throat. She swallowed it down and looked up at the Queen. She had a look in her eyes Emma had seen before. It was the look of someone holding all the cards. It was confident, arrogant and powerful.

"Don't you think that's fair?" she said

"I don't think it's necessary, ma'am" Emma said.

Cora smiled. It was sickening.

"Oh I do. And when you leave here I'll send you on with my highest recommendation. You'll be welcomed in any court in the land. All I'm asking for in return is a little…peace of mind."

Emma didn't trust herself to speak without being sick. The sound of Pip hitting the floor, the flute rolling away from him, Regina's scared, thrilling kiss from yesterday, all of this was spinning around her mind making her dizzy.

"You can take the day off, dear. Maybe head out to the stables, perhaps you could use a ride" Cora sneered.

Her eyes lingered on Emma, drinking in her victory. She'd taken everything from her in one fell swoop, pushed a pin right through her like a butterfly in a display case. And now was she threatening Lucy on top of everything else? How did she even know about that?

"M-Mother?" Regina's voice came from behind Cora.

"Oh you are punctual, darling. That's one thing you will always do better than your sister" Cora turned and for a moment Emma knew she was visible to Regina, kneeling pathetic on the floor.

Regina's eyes widened in fear and her snapped back to her mother.

"You have the day off from dancing dear, you need to be fitted for your ball gown." Cora put a hand on her shoulder and turned her around.

Emma felt Cora's will press down on her, she couldn't get up if she wanted to, and she didn't want to. She wanted to sink into the floor. She managed to look up far enough to catch Regina's concerned expression as she turned at the end of the corridor.

What must she have looked like to her? Emma heard the guards in the distance laugh.

The Queen seemed to be everything everyone said she was, and Emma had survived her first brush.

 _Poor Pip._


	11. Chapter 11

Distant birdsong and the crunch of snow underfoot were the only sounds to be heard on the path. Regina and Emma walked the same way they had days before, under centuries old trees that stood still in the frozen morning.

"I can't believe the weather just changed like that!" Emma pulled her cloak tight around her but was still cold. "Does it do this a lot?"

Regina was not cold. Under her cloak she wore a red leather jerkin with a high collar and blouse. It had taken her dress maid a while to locate her winter clothes that morning but it was well worth it.

"Snow in Spring? Not usually" Regina replied

"I'm glad you wanted to get away from the palace today, it's nice to be able to talk without feeling like the walls are listening" Emma said

Regina nodded and waited for whatever it was Emma obviously wanted to say.

"So, you probably want to know why your mother was in our dance room yesterday" Emma tried

"The Queen" Regina corrected

"Yes" she said "do you have another mother?"

"No, you should call her The Queen" Regina replied

Emma looked at her for a moment.

"Ok, your queen" she said. Regina frowned

"Is she not your queen too?" she asked

"This isn't my kingdom" Emma replied

Regina rolled her eyes. _Well you're in it_ she wanted to argue, but knew Emma would have a response or that too and they would probably go on for hours.

"Yes I would like to know what went on" Regina said

"Pip was fired" Emma said

"What?" she had not expected that.

"He's kind of a shit sometimes" Emma said "and he pissed off the wrong people this time"

Regina wondered whom, he might be in more danger than Emma realised.

"What did he do?" Regina asked

"I have no idea, but it's not unlikely that he did whatever he's been accused of." Emma said with a sigh.

Regina let that sink in for a moment.

"And why were you on the floor?" she asked

"Oh, yeah there's no way to get around that" Emma laughed "Your queen wanted me on the floor, so that's where I was"

Regina hummed in acknowledgement. Cora liked nothing more than showing people how dominant and powerful she was. If Emma was a display of strength, Cora making her kneel sounded about right.

They continued their walk. Green had been replaced with white that laced every branch and leaf. It felt like a completely different place, like they could be anywhere. Regina imagined for a moment that they were in a distant corner of the forest, far away from the palace and her mood lifted.

"Aren't you cold?" Emma asked, she felt cold in her bones, despite her thick woollen cloak.

"No" Regina replied shortly.

Emma regularly glanced at her as they walked. Regina looked different. She wasn't in a bad mood but the wall was up. Her face was grave.

"I'm sorry about what happened the other day" Emma said "it was my fault. I shouldn't have..."

She faltered. What shouldn't she have done? Told Regina what she needed to know? Shown her what to expect? She was pretty sure her lesson had hit home.

But she was kidding herself. She knew what she shouldn't have done. She shouldn't have given in, let Regina do that to her, let them kiss.

"Shouldn't have what?" Regina asked "it seemed like a fairly essential lesson"

"I shouldn't have touched you" Emma said and looked at the ground quickly "…kissed you"

She shouldn't have, but she did, and given the chance to go back and change it, she wasn't sure she would have any more control than she did the first time.

She hated saying it out loud. What would she say if Regina asked if she regretted it? She regretted so many things, like how it came about, how Pip had caught them, that she was a fucking princess for fuck's sake. But she didn't regret the kiss. It might have ruined her forever, but she couldn't regret it.

Regina didn't speak. She didn't ask why or how it happened, how Emma felt about it or if it would happen again. The wall was still up.

Sunlight melted the snow and it dripped from branches all around them. The daffodils Emma had admired days ago sagged and drooped under the weight of the flurry.

Collared doves leapt from the limbs of the beech trees above them sending a shower of white powder over them. Regina smiled as they walked through it.

"I love snow" Emma said gently from her side

"It always makes me think of Snow White now" Regina said

"I've heard of her" Emma replied, impressed with herself

"Well, she is the fairest of them all" Regina said playfully

"You can't honestly believe that" Emma laughed

"Why not?" Regina asked

"I mean" she began

 _Do you own a mirror?_ she thought. Regina watched her, amusement blooming across her face.

"Well, I'm here for a start" Emma said finally

Regina laughed. Her smile was wide and her head tipped back. Emma felt it wash over her. She loved seeing this version of Regina.

"I don't know what's so funny" she said in obvious jest, relieved she managed to say something not entirely idiotic.

Regina's nose wrinkled as she laughed harder and Emma found herself laughing too, with the woman who at that moment must really have been the fairest of them all.

* * *

"We should be careful on this part of the path" Emma said

Regina looked around them.

"Why?" she asked

"I saw a broken tree down here the other day, when…" Emma replied.

She seemed to hesitate. Was she going to bring up what they had talked about? Regina kept her face a mask.

"When we were down here" Emma finished

"Was it The Hanging Tree?" Regina asked, looking further down the path to see the tree she had named when she was a child, not knowing at the time what it would mean to most people.

"The w-what?" Emma turned, startled

"The tree that's broken. It balances between its broken trunk and the tree next to it. It looks like it's fingertips just brush it, like a gust of wind could knock it down" she described as best she could, though she found it hard to describe something so familiar.

"Hanging...between two trees, not a tree for hanging people?" Emma asked

"No, not for hanging people" Regina said, though ironically she had stood beneath it many times over the years, hoping it might one day fall. It seemed funny to her that she had accidentally given it a morbid name, then used it to scare or calm herself when she needed. The times and troubles that sometimes brought her down here rose sickeningly to mind.

She looked up to see Emma watching her. She didn't alter her face to hide the memories that surfaced, she let her see what must have been written all over her.

Before long they fund themselves by the tree. Regina felt the twisted mix of hope and sadness that she always felt when she came down here.

"I don't know how long it has been like this" Regina said, trailing the long branches with her eyes all the way into the next tree.

"Every time there's a storm I think it must have come down. There's nothing to hold it up but it's will I suppose" she said

"Maybe it just doesn't want to. Maybe it likes being a tree and once it comes down, what is it then?" Emma asked

 _Interesting_ Regina thought. She tipped her head to one side and turned the theory over in her mind. It was always defined as a tree, then the thing that makes it a tree is taken from it. Is its value taken too? What does it become? What will she become? When she becomes a queen, what will happen to the woman who was the princess?

"Which is worse, always being the thing you're told you are, or changing to something which could be worse?" Regina asked.

She didn't care if Emma thought she was still talking about the tree or if she figured out the metaphor for her life. These kinds of things never mattered to her at The Hanging Tree.

"Be careful" she said as Emma took another step towards it.

"You said it's been through storms" Emma turned back to her

"It has" Regina said "but that won't stop it falling when it falls"

"So you think it's inevitable?" Emma asked

Regina moved to her side and looked up. Maybe she didn't want to play metaphor ping-pong with Emma after all. It only served to depress her further.

"I have stood in this very spot a hundred times and hoped it would fall on me" she said "How many times have you stood here?"

Emma looked up too.

"I have my own hanging trees" she said quietly "maybe yours is the one to do it" she turned to look at Regina.

The conversation was so heavy with unsaid things they might as well have been back at the castle.

Regina wanted to slide her arm around Emma's waist and stand there together but she knew she couldn't, she just stood there, looking into green eyes thinking of all the things she could never do.

There was a creak from above. A shock went through her and she looked up. It moved! The tree she had known for nineteen years moved for the first time ever and she was right below it. An involuntary smile broke across her face.

"Regina!" Emma had instinctively leapt back, but Regina didn't follow.

The violent crack of breaking wood filled her ears and she didn't move, pinned to the spot by awful fascination. She saw it fall through the air above her and she didn't move.

She expected it to hurt. She expected cold and wet and hard, sharp pain.

She felt a tug around her waist and the almighty crash of the tree hitting the ground resounded all the way through her.

She opened her eyes. She was on her hands and knees in the snow. She tried to get up and realised Emma's arm was around her. She turned to see her crouched over her with her eyes shut tight.

She was on her knees, one arm around Regina, the other thrown behind her, palm facing the fallen tree that had moved course by ten feet or more.

She was trembling.

"You're ok" Regina whispered and touched her face gently. Emma's breathing was hard and juddering.

"You're ok" Regina lowered Emma's other arm and wrapped her own around her. Emma still shook under her touch.

"You're ok" Regina said again. She rubbed Emma's back and felt her arms slowly curl around her.

She could feel her heart pounding.

"I'm sorry" Regina said, and she meant it.

She always felt oddly safe here, like it didn't matter if the tree came down. She had never thought anyone would care if she were crushed to death, let alone risk themselves to save her.

Why would the tree move now? Had something changed? Did she have something to live for?

Emma softened, like the tension was gradually leaving her, adrenaline was working its way out of her system. Regina still rubbed her back. Emma smelled like wild flowers and a sensation Regina hadn't felt very often in her life took over them both. Was it safety? Belonging? Whatever if it was, it made her heart sing.

Her eyes settled on the fallen tree. She looked up again. It should definitely have been exactly dead on top of them. How had Emma moved it? The answer was obvious. It had to be magic.

Emma had stopped shaking. Her breathing had settled but Regina could still feel her heart pounding. Her grip on Regina loosened and she drew back.

Emma's cheeks were stained with tears. Regina brushed them away. Her hands fell to her lap realising that may have been an unwanted intimacy.

"Don't do that again" Emma said

Regina's heart sank.

"Sorry, it was automatic" she touched Emma's cheek lightly with her thumb in apology.

"No" Emma took her hand before she could lower it again. She kissed her palm and rolled her fingers around it, like she had left something precious there.

"Don't...if you find another hanging tree, don't stand under it" Emma said, still holding Regina's hand closed with her own.

Tears unbidden filled Regina's eyes. She opened her mouth but nothing came out.

"I understand" Emma said, new tears filling hers too "I've been there"

Regina took a breath that shuddered as she drew it in.

"I have had no control of my life, I've felt worthless. I still do sometimes, but I don't think that I am, and I know you are not"

Regina felt like she was drowning. The feelings she was so skilled at pushing down rose quickly and brutally to the surface.

"Why? Because I'm _accomplished_?" She asked. Accomplished. A hollow word that meant she was well bred and trained, like her prize steed.

"Because you're incredible" Emma said, her forehead wrinkled.

Regina rolled her eyes defensively.

"I mean it" Emma said fiercely, finding her voice "I know you feel lost, like you have nothing to live for"

A jolt of anxiety shot through Regina. How did she know that?

"I see it all the time, except when you dance. You learn so quickly, you're precise and you won't settle for less than your absolute best. You give everything you have until there's nothing left" Emma searched her eyes for signs of comprehension, acceptance.

"There is nothing left" Regina repeated, "I'm empty. My life is empty. My only friend in the world can't speak and crushed my leg 6 months ago so that's hardly ideal" she tried to joke

"I'm your friend" Emma said

"You are?" Regina asked, hardly able to let herself believe it. Emma gave her a lop sided smile. It was a little goofy and extremely cute.

"You mean you're not angry..." Regina took a deep breath "about what I did to you the other day?" She almost winced as she spoke.

"Not angry" Emma replied

"Disappointed?" Regina tried

"Not disappointed either" Emma said with half a smile.

Regina's heart fluttered. Was it ok, then? Had Emma felt the same as her when they kissed? Like nothing else existed and…

"How do you feel about me?" She asked while she still had the courage.

Emma stared wide-eyed at the ground. Regina felt like she was underneath the hanging tree again.

When EMma finally dragged her eyes up to meet Regina's the brightness that was in the moments ago was gone.

"We're friends" she said

The cold, sharp pain she had expected earlier came down on her now.

Of course Emma didn't care for her beyond friendship, what had she been thinking? She berated herself for her greediness. Her friendship was a gift in itself, how dare she ask for more?

"We're friends" Regina replied.

They knelt facing each other in the snow. Regina felt the beginning of tears again though she forced a smile.

Emma returned it with relief and reached to pull her into a hug.

Regina let her. With Emma's arms around her waist she let her tears fall where they would never be seen and when their embrace was over all trace of them was gone.


	12. Chapter 12

"I need to talk to you about something" Regina said as Emma put away Pip II at the end of their lesson.

Emma paused before she put the machine back in the trunk, wiped her hands and turned to face her.

"Ok" she said in an easy voice, though she looked nervous. She tucked her hair behind her ear.

Regina was nervous too. She didn't make promises lightly and she was not accustomed to breaking them.

"My sister" she began, a wrinkle formed on Emma's brow "knows something about me that she is using to..."

"She's blackmailing you?" Emma interrupted

"Essentially, yes" Regina said

"To do what?" She asked

Regina looked away and fidgeted with a ring on her finger. She hated this, but she couldn't see another way.

"She wants me to go out with her to town again. To The Reel" she said and looked warily at Emma.

Her eyes widened. For a moment she just stared. Regina felt like a child about to get a severe telling off. She deserved it, she knew, this was all her fault.

"Regina, you can't! What does she have on you? It can't be that bad" Emma said

 _It's you, she has you and your life in her wicked, bony hands_ she thought, her heart aching.

"It is that bad" Regina said "I don't have a choice. I'm sorry that I have to break the promise I made you. I have made enquiries with the servants, there's a mummer's show on the other side of town the same night. It sounds like lots of people are going so there will be people to see you there if you need witnesses."

"I'm staying at The Reel, that's where I live" Emma said.

Regina's heart sank. She hadn't thought of that. It wouldn't matter if she was seen elsewhere, then.

"Are you kidding?" Emma asked in a hopeful last attempt.

Regina shook her head and swallowed. Emma rubbed her eyes and groaned.

"I'm sorry" Regina said again.

The risk of her being recognised was low, it was a much greater risk to let Zelena run to Cora and ruin Emma completely.

Emma dropped heavily into the chaise. Regina wasn't sure what to do. She felt awkward. Should she try to comfort her? How could she? It was her fault this was happening.

"Can you take a guard at least?" Emma asked, raising her face from her hands for a moment

"Wouldn't that be a little conspicuous?" Regina asked

"Well, you're face is going to be conspicuous" Emma said

"Oh, yes, that was the other thing I wanted to talk to you about" Regina closed her eyes and twisted the ring again.

"You...I don't know if you know...but you have magic" she said "and so do I"

Emma didn't speak and she opened her eyes.

"The tree?" Emma asked

Regina nodded. Yes the life-saving deflection of a falling tree was a perfect example of strong, intrinsic, instinctive magic.

"And you?" Emma asked

Regina shrugged.

"All learned" she said "I wore a glamour, a kind of disguise, when I went out last time. I don't know how you saw through it, but you were the only one who could"

"Can I see?" Emma asked

She hadn't expected this. She was prepared for defensiveness and fear, not complete acceptance and curiosity.

"Glamours take a lot of preparation and work, I can't just whip up a new face" she said

"Something else then?" Emma asked

She closed her eyes and thought of their situation, Zelena forcing her to hurt Emma. She channelled it to her hand and felt a cold burn in her palm.

She opened her hands to see the flicker of a flame. On seeing it she smiled and poured her rage into it until it was the size of a cooking apple.

She looked at Emma whose mouth was open. Was this when the fear and distrust came out? She quenched it quickly and folded her hands in front of her.

"Wow, how do you do that?" Emma got up and walked over to her.

"You have to get really angry" Regina said, looking at the floor, the trunk, the mirror, anywhere but at Emma.

"You're angry?" Emma asked

Regina bit back a snarling reply. She hated that about her magic, it made her feel strong, but always dark. It got harder to claw her way back every time.

"Yes" she answered shortly "I just used this situation to make that" she tried to get them back on topic.

"Is it satisfying to be able to do that with your anger?" Emma asked

"Not really" Regina said "it isn't used up like fuel, it's almost like you let it flow through you, it goes everywhere, it threatens to take over. Sometimes it does."

She didn't realise her hands were balled into fists until Emma touched them. She relaxed her grip. Her fingers ached as Emma unclenched them slowly.

"Why did you show me if it's so horrible?" Emma asked. She straightened her fingers out and held them together with hers.

"Because you asked" Regina frowned.

Emma's eyes smiled, though her mouth remained more or less a line. She slid her arms around Regina's waist and pulled her into a hug.

"What are you doing?" Regina asked, fear flashed through her, mingled with and turned to anger.

"We're hugging it out" Emma said, with her chin on Regina's shoulder "you're supposed to hug me back"

Regina sighed and put her arms reluctantly around Emma, certain this would do her more harm than good.

"Let the anger go" Emma said

"Go where?" Regina asked impatiently. She could smell wild flowers. She felt warm and safe and terrified.

"Out of you, into me, into nothing" Emma said "it doesn't matter, just let it go"

Regina sighed to let Emma know she didn't approve and closed her eyes. After a while her body seemed to react automatically and started to release the tension it held. It relaxed almost against her will.

Her heart ached and that too seemed to dissipate. She tucked her face into Emma's neck and accepted the embrace. She let herself hug Emma back and felt the arms around her tighten in return, as if determined to squeeze every bad thing out of her.

* * *

Emma met Regina, Zelena and the squire at the door of the tavern. The other two melted into the crowd almost immediately. Emma's heart beat like crazy seeing them out in the open with no protection. If people had any idea who they were she didn't know what would happen.

The music had already begun. The dramatic build up that Pip loved to play was skipped in his absence by the other musicians in favor of more dancing.

"This makes me nervous" Emma said looking down at the face she knew, covered by a thin veil of magic that looked to her like a shimmering golden veil.

"Then let's not stay" Regina offered. Emma frowned.

"Well no one's going to miss us" they looked over at the crowd focused on the group of dancers giving the floor synchronized hell. The drum beat quickened, they clasped hands and spun in one great circle hammering the floor as they went.

Emma's room was safer than the open, she supposed. She gave herself a moment to collect her thoughts, took one last look at Regina and took her hand. They ran up the stairs. Regina laughed behind her, her heart seemed to be pounding in time to the bhodran downstairs.

The moment they were alone Emma was going to kiss her, she knew it. If they made it to her room there would be no going back. She couldn't let them. She stopped half way up the stairs.

"This is crazy" Emma said, the music from below built euphorically and the thundering feet seemed only to quicken the beat of her heart.

Regina's answer was to kiss her there and then for anyone to see. Emma fell back into the wall and Regina followed. They kissed furiously, like they needed it to breathe. Their hands pulled at each other's clothes and their bodies pushed together. Their breaths came quick and heavy though they were utterly drowned out by the sound from below.

Neither of them remembered how they made it to the door of Emma's room but they fell through it and it slammed shut behind them.

Emma pushed Regina against the dresser and could have torn off the dress she wore there and then. Regina gasped at the intensity of it, then at the feel of kisses at her neck.

Emma almost lost herself completely, until Regina called her back.

"Hey" she said softly

Emma looked at her, they stood nose to nose trying to catch their breath.

"Slow down" Regina panted

Emma looked into her eyes. She couldn't believe she was doing this. The woman in front of her kissed her back with a ferocity she couldn't have imagined. It set her on fire. She wondered where she had learned- _shit_ Emma remembered she would never have done this before, or at least not as much as they could easily do tonight.

Emma kissed her cheek softly and she smiled. She kissed her temple, her ear, her neck. She wanted to take her time over her. If Regina just wanted to kiss, they would kiss all night and it would be glorious.

A soft "oh" issued from Regina's lips as Emma tasted her skin. She could feel her heart beating. She broke away to find Regina's lips again.

They found her. She felt Regina's tongue asking for her own and she gave it. This time the noise came from her as they opened up slowly to each other. She felt Regina smile in response.

 _How can this be real?_ She asked herself, before Regina wiped it from her mind by sliding her hand around her waist. _Have I lost my mind?_ Regina pulled them closer together. _How can this be real?_ She slid her other hand slowly up Emma's ribs. Regina's thumb brushed the side of her breast.

Electricity shot through her. She pulled away. She took in Regina's face again. Her deep, dark eyes, her lips…

She drew her thumb down her scar, then down her lips, opening her mouth. A flicker of a smile crossed Regina's face. She sucked her thumb. Emma felt her tongue on her skin. It was so hot she could have come right there and then.

"Come here" Emma took her hand and walking backwards drew them over to the bed. Regina followed smiling.

"I want to feel you, all of you" she sat on the edge and pulled Regina on top of her.

"I don't think I've ever wanted anything as much as I want you" she said.

Regina took her face in her hands, and sitting in her lap kissed her more deeply than anyone ever had. It was achingly slow and beautiful.

 _Is this what dying feels like?_ she thought _can you die from wanting, from loving someone too much?_

She felt a tug on her shirt. She slid her arms out of it, only breaking their kiss to get it over her head. Her fingers found the lace at the front of Regina's dress. She felt Regina's touch helping. She opened her eyes to see it slip away.

She felt for certain, this was the moment she was going to die. It was too much.

"My gods" she whispered. She kissed her chest, her hands found their way around her waist, up her back, stroking, scratching. She kissed her breasts and took a nipple in her mouth.

Regina gasped. Emma rolled her tongue around it and sucked. Regina's fingernails dug into Emma's skin. She moved to the other and did the same. Regina's head went back as she groaned.

Emma almost shook with anticipation. She could feel the throb between her own legs.

"I'm going to touch you" Emma just about managed

"Oh thank gods" Regina replied. The skirt of her dress fell away. Emma looked up into her eyes as she slid her fingertips up the inside of Regina's thigh. She felt the depth of her soul in the instant before she touched her. While she waited, anticipating, wanting her.

Emma gently drew a finger into and along her until she felt the bump of her clit and ran over it. Regina's eyes shut and she convulsed.

Emma smiled watching her face. The wrinkle in her brow, the shape of her mouth, the straining muscles in her neck.

"Emma please" she said and drew in a breath slowly. Emma slid her fingers back down to find her opening. Regina seemed to stop breathing. Emma slid a finger slowly into her. She gasped again. Emma added another and she moaned.

Emma felt herself on the edge of climax without even being touched. She felt Regina move against her and replied pushing her fingers in her deeper. Emma could hardly tell if the noise she made in reply was one of pleasure of pain.

She withdrew, lifted Regina and lay her on the bed. She pushed her knees apart.

"You…" she started, but lost herself taking in the woman lying on her bed. Regina's touch on her arm brought her back. She was pulling her up her body. Emma followed.

"You're beautiful" Emma said, leaving a trail of kisses as she went. On her thigh, her hip, her stomach, her neck. As soon as she was close enough, Regina pulled her into another kiss. Emma slid her hand down in between them and pushed into Regina again. She moaned into her mouth and Emma found a steady rhythm that kept her moaning. Regina wrapped her legs around her.

"Faster?" Emma asked

"Nnn nn" was the only noise Regina managed.

Emma restrained herself and kept her pace, her hand aching from the pressure of their bodies pushing against each other. She kissed her neck as she thrust. It wasn't long before Regina's body became tense. She reached out across the sheets. Emma reached out too and pressed her hand into Regina's. Their fingers locked and Emma lifted herself to see Regina's climax in full.

She felt her body shake beneath hers. Regina bared her teeth and pushed against her. Her eyes were closed and she turned her head away as her back arched. She shuddered and cried out. Emma never wanted it to end but she felt Regina tighten around her fingers, she felt her body reach it's threshold and watched her gasp for air.

She withdrew slowly, rolled off her and wiped her hand on the sheets. Regina was breathing normally again. Her eyes were still closed.

"You ok?" Emma asked

Regina smiled and nodded. Her eyes remained closed but Emma saw a tear at the corner of one.

"Mmm more than ok" Regina drawled.

Emma kissed her shoulder and wrapped herself protectively around her.


	13. Chapter 13

_**Here's an update! Sorry it's been such a long time coming. I've got a rough sketch of the rest of the story, so expecting about 4 more chapters. I hope you like this one (and I know some of you hate Lucy, any guesses who she is?)**_

* * *

Lucy trudged her way up to the palace kitchens through the snow. No one had walked the way from the stables yet so she made her own path, feet disappearing into whiteness with each fresh step. Having been up for hours already, she decided the sun was high enough in the sky to make it time for second breakfast.

"Hey" Ruby was coming down the kitchen steps with a smile that fell from her face when she saw her "woah, what's wrong?" she asked, putting her basket down.

"Nothing" Lucy said, but it was half hearted. Ruby saw right through it.

"Your ass was bouncing off the walls a few days ago, what is wrong?" she persisted.

Lucy stopped walking and turned to the view from the top of the hill. Snow dusted the pine trees like icing on one of Tip's cakes. It was beautiful. The sun was shining, the sky was blue, her horses were happy, she really could not complain. But despite all this she felt a dull ache in her chest, which was obviously showing on her face.

"This is about the dancer isn't it? Emily?" Ruby asked

"Emma" Lucy replied, realizing too late that she had fallen for an age old trick. Ruby's eyes narrowed and she nodded.

"What happened?"

She didn't want to tell her. They shared most things. When Ruby got really sick, Lucy went out of her way to make sure she had everything she needed. When Lucy needed help with her father, Ruby was the one she called on and she never mentioned it afterwards. She sighed and let her head drop into her friend's shoulder.

 **A few days ago**

Lucy's heart raced as she watched the princess take off on Rocinante for the first time in months. She looked like she had never been off him. What were the chances that the moment she stopped working one of The Family turned up asking for her? Her cheeks burned. Was it possible that the two events were related?

She dunked her hand in the bucket of clean water she had been preparing for scrubbing the floors. The remnants of her encounter with Emma washed off easily. She tucked her red curls back into the bun they had fallen out of, drew a deep breath and opened the door to the bridle room.

"She's gone, Miss" she said. Emma let out the breath she had obviously been holding.

"You alright?" She asked. Emma nodded. "You...need anything else? Only I have to get back..."

"Oh no, I don't need anything" Emma said, seemingly embarrassed now. They stood in silence for a moment. She recognised the aching look in Emma's eyes from the night before and everything clicked reluctantly into place.

"You can't help her, Miss" Lucy said. Emma opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. _Gosh_ , Lucy thought, _she is beautiful_. _Daft as anything, but beautiful._ "Unless you've got friends more powerful than The Queen, there's nothing you can do for her" she said. Emma seemed to be searching her face for something.

"You know then?" Emma asked quietly. She rubbed the back of her neck.

 _That you're in love with the princess?_ She wanted to ask I _plain as day, and who could blame you?_

"Yes, Miss" she replied

Emma put her hands over her face. "Sorry" she said through her palms.

"You've nothing to be sorry for, Miss. I understand, and I know what we are. When are you leaving? Three weeks?" Lucy asked pointedly to show Emma she did understand that they were just having sex. Incredible, athletic, life-ruiningly good sex.

"Two" Emma said, her hands now pushed her hair back from her face

"Two weeks then. That's all you need to manage for" Lucy said, hiding the disappointment she felt. Emma nodded sadly. "Will I see you tonight?" She asked tentatively.

Emma looked up, eyes wide with surprise. "You want to?" She asked

"Well Miss, if just now was anything to go by, you can't go on as you are. You might explode" Lucy said. Emma laughed and Lucy was relieved to see her smile again. "And I can't very well say no to you" she added

"You can!" Emma said, no longer laughing, "of course you can!"

"Don't mistake my meaning, Miss." She said, walking up to Emma. She seemed to be biting her lip. "How did you get straw in your hair? You've only been here 5 minutes" she said, discarding the piece she untangled from Emma's locks. "I could say no to you, but I wouldn't want to" Lucy said

Emma searched her eyes again and Lucy looked back frankly, with half a smile on her lips. She kissed Emma on the cheek before turning to leave the store room. "Now bugger off, will you? I've got work to do" she said without looking back, though she heard Emma's laugh and smiled.

She relayed the story to Ruby, skipping out the specifics about who Emma was in love with.

"Fuck" she stared at Lucy "but you are super into her, like, super duper into her"

"I am not" Lucy pushed her knee away and tried to hide her blush by turning

"Oh please, you we're strutting around like the cat's meow the other day. What did you call yourself? The patron saint of orgasms?" Ruby said

"I…" Lucy began, but she knew Ruby was right. She had been over the moon. "I'm ok with this though" Ruby's eyebrow arched in reply. "I am, it's just, I thought…I don't know why I thought it, now that I think about it she never said she wouldn't sleep with anyone else" Lucy rambled half to herself.

Ruby gasped "No!" she said "who?"

"I don't know her" Lucy replied, feeling slightly vindicated by Ruby's reaction "I mean, they might not have been, but I was s'posed to meet her last night where she 'bides and when I got there she was dancing with another girl" Lucy said, her eyes filling with tears as she remembered the woman she danced with.

She was the same height as Emma, beautiful and a very good dancer. She smiled as Emma twirled her around then twirled herself under their arms. They had seemed easy and happy. Lucy blamed herself for being early, but her heart just about shredded itself when she saw them together. She drew her own conclusion, but she didn't think this was a hard one. The woman didn't look like Regina, but she did have long dark hair like hers. She self consciously tucked her fiery curls behind her ears.

"Oh Luce" Ruby said, wrapping her arms around her tightly and rocking her slightly "she's no good for you. I know you think she's gorgeous, but she's obviously not a good person to do that to you, after you were so understanding and everything" Lucy swallowed the lump in her throat and Ruby let her go. "Come on, it must be time for second breakfast?" she asked. Lucy smiled in reply and followed her to the kitchen.

"I hope you don't mind Mrs Tipping, we were just out for a walk and Miss Swan has not dressed appropriately for the weather" Princess Regina was talking to the cook as Lucy and Ruby entered.

Her heart leapt in her chest. Emma was with her. She managed to slip into the pantry without being seen. She sat on an upturned crate and hoped no one would come in. She couldn't look at Emma right now, she felt ashamed and embarrassed.

"Of course, Majesty" Tip replied "What would you like, Miss?"

"Oh anything" Emma's voice sent another jolt through Lucy. "Whatever is easiest, I'll have anything as long as it's hot!" she smiled appreciatively as she spoke

"That's what I heard" Ruby said under her breath as she passed behind her.

Emma's head spun to look at her. Regina hadn't heard, she was listening to the list of things Tip had to offer. Emma turned back to her after catching a stinging glare from the woman leaving the kitchen.

"…Stew and bread, could whip you up some porridge-" Tip seemed to be listing everything until Emma interrupted with her choice.

"Stew would be excellent" Emma replied. The bowl was set in front of her in seconds, a few slices of black bread appeared on a plate next to it with the butter dish.

"Oh my gosh, you're spoiling me" Emma said, seating herself on the wide wooden bench at the kitchen table. She dipped her bread in the stew and ate. The noise she made would have been considered indecent in any other context. "This is incredible" she said, before she even swallowed "I've been living on pottage for weeks, this is…" she trailed off to dip and eat more bread. She tried some with butter, then spooned up the stew. Regina stood by, smiling.

"Can I get you anything, Miss?" Tip asked, though she was quite distracted by Emma's uncouthness. She hadn't even asked the princess if she could sit and eat.

"No thank you, Mrs Tipping" Regina replied with a smile

"I have some of your favourite bread" she offered

Regina's mouth twisted before she gave in. "Oh very well then!" she said, taking a seat next to Emma who was just wiping out her bowl with her last slice of bread. A plate with two slices of pinkish bread was set down in front of Regina, as well as a pot of plum jam, a spare plate and the rest of the loaf on a wooden board with a knife.

"Mrs Tipping!" Regina exclaimed "You're spoiling me, how ever will I manage lunch after this?" She spooned jam onto her bread, spread it with a knife and took a slow bite, as though savouring every second. Emma watched her with a grin.

"My apologies, Miss" Tip said, with a smile

"You'll have to go for a long hack, Majesty, work up your appetite" Lucy said, appearing from the pantry with a sack of apples and carrots. She bowed as Regina turned to her.

"Good morning, Lucy" Regina smiled at her "that's not a bad idea at all" Lucy glanced at Emma, who at least had the decency to look uncomfortable.

"Good day to you both" Lucy tipped her head and was off.

"The other plate is for you, Miss Swan, if you'd like to try the bread" Tip said, half watching Lucy run down the path.

"Ah ah" Regina swallowed quickly and pulled the bread board out of Emma's reach "this is mine, you'll have to get your own"

Emma laughed. "Maybe I can just try a bite of yours then?"

Regina scowled at her, playfully. "Fine" she cut a generous piece of her bread and passed it to Emma who smiled in return.

The bread tasted of fruit, and something sharp with a bite, maybe pepper? Combined with the jam, it was heavenly. Emma couldn't remember ever eating so well. She watched Lucy disappear down the hill through the open door and her mind wandered back to the night before.

 **The night before**

"Robin! stop it!" Marion scolded him for showing off "just dance with me, like normal will you?"

"This is normal" he replied, though the withering look Marion gave him stopped his tomfoolery. She let go of him and sighed.

"Emma!" Marion called as she passed on her way to her room "Dance with me? My husband is feeling like showing off tonight."

"Tsk Robin, the point of dancing with a woman is to show her off" Emma detoured to the dance floor.

"Yeah yeah" Robin laughed and plonked himself down at the bar.

"Who will lead?" Marion asked

Emma slid her arm around her waist and took her hand "Take turns?" she asked. Marion smiled and let her lead. Marion wanted to hear about her exploits at the palace. Her heart sank a little.

"You know I can't talk about it" she said and twirled Marion effortlessly.

"Oh come on. Are they all as stuck up as people here say? They seem to hate the queen" Marion said, stepping away from and then back to Emma.

"So I hear" Emma replied and turned them both, making sure to give Marion enough space for her dress to flourish between them.

"Boring" Marion said and smiled "I heard you found yourself a little love interest up there though" Emma's heart stopped. "The girl with red hair, or was that just a rumour?" Marion asked, unsure about Emma's reaction.

"Oh, Lucy, yeah" Emma said "she's coming here tonight" she twirled Marion again and turned herself under their arms.

"Oh good!" Marion smiled "maybe she'll have palace gossip to share."

Emma smiled "Don't count on it" she said and the song ended. "My turn"

In truth, Emma had been looking forward to seeing her. She felt less guilty now that Lucy knew they were just having fun, and it would be nice to be around someone she didn't have to be guarded against. She never showed up and Emma went to bed alone in the room she was supposed to share with her now incarcerated brother.

 **The morning after the night at The Reel**

Regina concentrated on breathing normally, on not running to the rehearsal room, on fighting the beaming smile that tried desperately to shine out of her. All she could hear was the music from The Reel playing non-stop in her mind, all she could see was Emma's smile and very dangerous dimples, all she could feel was the memory of Emma's lips on her own. She threw open the door, but there was no one. A few minutes later a maid greeted her.

"The Queen has asked for me to accompany you to your final dress fitting, Majesty" she said with a curtsey.

"Oh" Regina replied, surprised. "Did she say anything of my dance lesson?"

"No, Miss" Something was wrong. Cora knew, she was sure of it. What could she do but go along?

"Very well" she said, following the maid to the fitting room.

"I can't believe mother is letting you wear black" Zelena said as she entered.

"It's not black, it's grey"

"Grey is just black but weaker"

"Ashley what colour is this?"

"The fabric colour is Gainsboro, Majesty. We also have it in Cinerous and Rose Quartz if you would prefer those, Miss" Ashley answered and went back to pinning the dress. Regina looked at Zelena with raised eyebrows

"Are they all black as well?" Zelena asked. Ashley swallowed nervously.

"No need to answer my sister, Ashley. This is the colour I want"

Regina did as she was told, hoping they would finish the dress soon so she could go looking for Emma. She tried to think of explanations for her absence but her thoughts were continually interrupted by Zelena updating her on the state of her boredom.

"Why are you here?" she asked eventually, risking rudeness out of frustration. At that moment The Queen entered. Zelena sat up in her chair immediately. The servants stopped what they were doing to stand and curtsey. Regina stood still where she was, trying to decifer the odd look on her face.

"Girls, I have some sad news" she said, sweeping her hands together in front of her dramatically. Regina exchanged a look with Zelena. Her first thought it that their father must be ill.

"As you were" Cora sad to the servants, who returned to their tasks quickly. "Regina your dance lesson was cancelled this morning" she said, looking over at her sadly "Your teacher was in a...tragic accident. A trader in the market overturned their cart. I believe she was helping them when a second cart joined the collision. I'm very sorry dear"

Regina heard her, but she couldn't process what she said. Emma, who was fierce and strong and full of life was, what?

"Her body has been returned to her family. I have offered them a generous compensation for her work here, which they have accepted graciously"

"Pip?" She asks. That didn't sound right. emma had told her last night she had no family but Pip, and he was supposed to still be in jail somewhere. Cora's eyes flashed to Zelena whose lip is curled in distaste.

"Gosh, that's horrible" she said "I suppose there's no time to find Regina a new teacher?"

"No there isn't, but the ball is only a few days away now."

"Her...she's gone back to Pip? Does that mean he's out of jail?"

"Really dear, you do concern yourself with the most offensive details" Regina blushed "It is all taken care of"

Cora stayed a moment longer, chatting with Zelena. Regina wasn't listening. She was thinking about Emma's eyes as they danced watching her, about her strong shoulders as they got dressed together, dancing as they went to the music downstairs, about her laugh when Regina pulled her into a spin instead of the other way round, about her outrageous dimples. All gone?

"That's it, your majesty" Ashley said, bringing her back to the world. Cora and Zelena were gone. "You can step down, I'll see to the dress if you stand still"

Regina turned to her, hearing her words but comprehending nothing. Tears balanced on the brim of her eyelashes. Ashley's empathetic face sends them over.

"Oh Miss" she said, catching her hands as stepped down "I am sorry to hear about your teacher" Regina's only response was to wipe her tears before more fell onto the fabric, darkening it in tiny spots.

"Oh dear" she said, wiping them away "I'll ruin this dress before the ball starts" she changed the subject and shook out of the dress quickly. Anything to get out of the room before she let herself feel what she had been told.


	14. Chapter 14

**The night at The Reel**

Emma listened to Marion's song begin downstairs. It was warm and earthy. She heard her sharp stamps on the floorboards and pictured her exact movements in her mind. She admired the way she danced. It came naturally to her. It looked effortless while she herself looked fiery and fierce. The music was building to a faster pace. It was the opposite of the mood in the room. Regina was curled up in her arms and she twirled the ends of her dark hair around her fingers. She kissed her shoulder.

"You ok?" she asked softly.

Regina sniffed. "Yes. I think so. I'm just…"

"It's ok" Emma said after a moment, sensing that the end of her sentence was not coming. "We can stop here. This is nice"

Regina wriggled around in her arms until they were nose to nose. "There's more?"

Her eyes were wide and Emma smiled "Have you never done that...by yourself before?"

Regina almost blushed "not...it was never like that"

She dropped her eyes to the bed sheets. Emma thought she looked so young sometimes. They must have been around the same age but Emma could see her ruling a kingdom, giving orders and whipping a court into shape. She had been in training for it all her life she supposed, but there was something else on top of that. The way she carried herself was regal and commanding, it came naturally to her. Other times she was just a young woman like her. She was when they danced, she was when she laughed, and she was while she was tangled up in Emma's arms. Emma kissed her forehead and she met her eyes again.

"How you felt just then, you can feel that again, and again and again"

Regina's eyebrows rose "How many times?"

"It depends on the person"

"How many times have you?"

"Ever? I don't know. In one night, maybe three-"

"In one night?" Regina gasped

"Yeah. Sometimes it gets muddled and you feel like that for longer so it doesn't feel like one, it feels like lots. You want to go again?" Emma smiled cheekily

"It seems obscene to want more" Regina replied seriously as her eyes wandered over Emma, her mind seemingly elsewhere. Emma kissed her cheek, her nose, the scar on her lip and she smiled.

"It is obscene to want more, but it's more obscene not to" She slid on top and their noses touched. "I want to kiss you all over" She dragged her nails lightly up Regina's leg, hip and side, leaving a ripple of goosebumps in her wake. Regina's eyebrows rose slowly as she imagined what Emma suggested "Is that ok?"

Regina nodded, mouth open slightly, eyes hungrily watching Emma's dimples appear on her cheeks. Emma leant up and pressed a kiss to her lips.

* * *

 **The day of the ball**

Regina's hands moved across the keys of her piano as if they needed no instruction. Her mind was filled with Emma, as it had been for weeks. She was overwhelmed. There was no one she could confide in, no one to share her pain and loss with. Her thoughts were only of Emma, her heart told her fingers what to do.

Her left hand drew forth melodic rumblings, filling the extravagant drawing room with aching sadness. Her right played the ups and downs of their friendship, if she could call it that. It furiously told stories of their feet stepping in time, the hem of Regina's skirt brushing Emma's legs as she spun her. Her fingers kissed the keys as they cried for Emma's touch again. Her eyes were closed but that made her face no less expressive. Anyone looking on would see the unmistakable sear of fresh love and heartache.

She slowed to a gentle melody as she thought of their walks away from the palace and brought it back up again as she delved into their night together. Working in unconscious unison she struck the keys as if she played hard enough, Emma might hear her. She hoped she could, wherever she was.

Her fingers danced as her heart fluttered at the memory of Emma's skin trembling under her lips, her closed eyes and wrinkled brow, her shaking breath. Her touch pressed down into the cold ivory feeling the resistance of each one and its soft bump against the velvet cushion before she let it go. Her breaths came unevenly as her anguish poured from her. She lifted off the seat slightly, leaning into each aching dip and soaring out of it again. She felt Emma's touch on her skin, fingers running through her hair, teeth grazing her lip. She saw Emma's back arch, her stomach muscles spasm and watched her sink slowly back into her pillows, radiant as the sun pouring into the room from tall windows. She drew the melody back down slowly before she was interrupted.

"You should be getting ready, dear" Her mother's voice was like ice water down her back.

She snapped closed the lid on her feelings. For a moment she didn't move. Her vision of Emma disappeared into thin air. Her eyes were glazed as she stood to walk to her rooms. "Yes, mother"

Emma waited by the dungeon gate, stepping from one foot to another. "Come on, come on, come on" she muttered under her breath. She wrung her hands but she wasn't really cold, just nervous.

The fortified door swung open and a guard shoved Pip through. He stumbled but managed to stop himself from falling face down in the mud. The torrential rain that has whipped most of the roads into mire had finally broken as evening fell. Lights reflected in it making the pocks in its surface look sharp and dangerous.

"Finally, you ok?" She asked as she flung her arms around him. The door slammed shut behind him.

"I'm fine" he said and hugged her back.

"You sure?" She asked, stepping back from him and looking over his face.

"Yes" he replied "I wouldn't say no to a hot meal and a drink"

Emma smiled "Sounds about right"

"What have I missed?"

"Pff, nothing. Lessons ended pretty abruptly, we got paid and I've been drinking away your half of the money down at The Reel most nights"

"Sounds reasonable to me. What have you been spending your half on?" Pip smiled

"Well, not pottage that's for sure" She turned around laughing and fell back at the sight of a man she never thought she'd see again. "Shit" she regained her balance on the slick road "what the hell do you want?"

"I'm glad you asked, dearie" he said in a frightfully playful voice. She held her arm out instinctively keeping Pip behind her. She could see Lucy out of the corner of her eye waiting with the palace ordered carriage. They couldn't spare a single footman this evening so she had been roped in to deposit Emma and Pip outside the palace grounds before wading back to the stables which were bursting at the seams with horses from every corner of the kingdom. She too had stumbled back at the sight of him. His skin was green and scaly, his hair putrid brown. Any normal person could be forgiven fainting at the sight of him.

"The queen has something of mine. I need it back" he said with a flourish of his hands.

"Maybe you should ask her for it" Emma said. She knew this man, if that was what he was. He was dangerous. The longer he spoke the more dangerous he became.

"Sadly, it's not that simple. Fortunately for you, it's also not that hard" he practically bounced on the spot, it was sickening.

"I'm not helping you, I remember what happened last time" she said

"You remember?" He asked smugly. If she had a sword handy she would have taken his head off there and then.

"I remember not remembering. I remember being lost in time." A memory of her holding her knees, repeating her name unable to remember anything else about herself sprung unbidden to mind. She pushed it down. "Do you have any idea how hard it was to get back to the Enchanted Forest after what you did to me? To us?" She said through her teeth

"Of course, dearie. That's how I know you're up to the task" he gave her a yellow smile

"Drop dead" she moved towards the carriage. Lucy hopped into action, opening the door and pulling the steps down.

"I can give you want you want" he suddenly snarled at her dismissal. "Your heart's fondest desire" he added in a singsong voice.

Emma stopped. She knew his promises were poisoned but she couldn't help but ask. "Can you help Regina find her happy ending?"

The man scoffed. "Gods no, that woman is never going to be happy. She's set to marry King Leopold and there's nothing anyone can do about it" the joy in his voice boiled her blood as her heart felt like it clanked to a stop in her chest.

"But the ball has only just started!" She gasped

"Oh the ball is all show, this was decided months ago. She has no more say in the matter of who she marries than...say...you do" he added, verbally twisting the knife.

Imagines of rescue plans flashed through her mind. Every scenario that came to her ended in her own bloody death and Regina's continued unhappiness. The images were spliced with the promises she'd made her, reassurances that she would be ok.

"Dance well enough and you'll have your pick, you may even find...happiness" she had said

"Fuck. Leopold?" She had a distant, vague memory of him that she couldn't quite put her finger on it, but it made her queasy.

"Oh she will. I'm sure she won't have a say in the matter"

There was half a second where Emma was struck cold by the horror of his words. Then she launched herself at him, throwing him against the castle wall so hard it would break the bones of any normal person. He giggled.

"It's not my doing, dearie"

"You have to stop it" Emma said

"I can't." He said "well I can, but I won't" Maybe she didn't need a sword to take his head off, maybe she'd use her bare hands. "I can offer something in return that may be of use to her" he pinned Emma with a look.

She knew what it meant. He had her and he knew it. Where was the trap? What were his terms? He was slippery, she wasn't going to let him screw her over like last time.

"Miss" Lucy put her hand on Emma's arm and she came back to reality "the guards at the gate are expecting us" Emma looked into her blue eyes and let the man slide down off the wall. There was something in them that she couldn't quite place. "They're expecting someone, anyway" she said meaningfully. She had to hand it to her, this girl was brave.

* * *

 **The ball**

Regina wondered if The Queen had cast a spell that froze the ball and it's inhabitants in time. Surely she had been dancing for days now, weeks even. No one else seemed to be worried.

Zelena appeared at her side. "How is it going with Prince Philip?" She asked, eyeing him as he took two drinks from a server's tray of and headed back towards them.

"Is that what this one's called?" Regina asked, though it was rhetorical.

Zelena frowned at her. "I don't know what you're so unhappy about. I'm the one stuck talking to princesses and heads of state while you get to dance the night away with prospective husbands."

Regina didn't even deign to reply. There was too much to argue with, too much to tell, and she didn't want Zelena to know any of it. The diluted detail she had was enough to cause havoc.

The prince appeared with their drinks "Princess Zelena, I didn't get a drink for you, you must take mine and I'll fetch another" he held a glass out to each of them.

"Actually I'll take Regina's" she said "she's not drinking tonight, are you sister?"

"No" Regina replied

"Ah, that's a shame" he passed the drink to Zelena and kept his own "I find it somewhat takes the edge off big events, helps them go along a little smoother."

Takes the edge off? Regina wanted the edges, front, back and sides off. She knew she was being rude not to be leading him in conversation, but she felt so dulled to the world she could hardly remember where she was. That was until she caught her mother's eye. Cora glared at her from the balcony above them.

"Prince Philip" she said quickly "tell me of your kingdom"

"Oh, well" he perked up, ready to pontificate the virtues of Ulstead.

"Prince Philip!" The archduke appeared to take him away. He looked crestfallen.

"Another time" Regina said and let him kiss her hand. She glanced across the dance floor and saw a woman with long blonde hair. Her stomach turned over. It wasn't Emma. She heard her laugh in her ears and turned away.

"What now?" Zelena asked, rolling her eyes, though they returned to Regina when there was no snappy reply. "I doubt this will go on much longer, I think the musicians have played every song there is. They'll have to start on those little jigs from the dancing tavern!" She laughed at the idea.

Regina felt light headed at the mention of it. She couldn't let herself remember it now, she pushed it away. Emma's skin against her own, she pushed it out of her mind with heart aching difficulty. She felt Emma's presence, though it was all imagined of course.

"Princess" came another voice "may I have this dance?"

She turned to see a tall prince with wavy blonde hair and green eyes. She could have fainted. Was this a joke? A prince that resembled Emma sent to dance with her? It had Cora's cruel signature all over it.

"Don't mind me!" Zelena said and wandered off reluctantly, eyeing the man up and down. Regina offered her hand to the prince who hadn't introduced himself. He lead her to the dance floor at a considerate pace.

"Are you having a good time?" He asked as they waited in position for the music to start. He was the first to ask.

"Of course" she lied "are you?"

"I am now" he smiled kind of lopsided.

The music began and they danced. She heard Emma's voice in her mind still. "Head back, like you're too good for this dance, you could do this your sleep, arms strong"

The prince danced well. Very well, actually she noticed. He was considerate in his movements, not overstretching her or over leading. The other dancers made space around them. It was a free form dance which was unusual at these events, but not in all kingdoms. She worried a little at first but he lead her so well and the movements were so familiar that she followed him easily. Emma was right, it was important to learn to do this. She felt another pang of guilt as she saw her in the eyes of the man she danced with.

The pace of the music slowed and they slowed with it. Regina felt almost safe, though uncomfortable under the gaze of what must have been everyone in the hall.

"I have heard a rumour" the prince said quietly "that your queen has already promised you to a suitor in another land" Regina barely registered his words. She supposed it was possible. Did it matter anymore? She knew she would never find what or who she wanted. The one she wanted was gone forever. "To a king"

"Then I will be a queen" she said absently, _before Zelena_ she thought. Once upon a time that might have made her laugh, made her happy even, but not now. She wished Zelena could have it.

"I wish you would be mine, Regina" he said as he twirled her easily, lifting her hand and turning himself underneath their arms. Emma again. Another shock went through her. She felt dizzy, how much more of this could she endure? Was she seeing things? She felt Emma so close that she thought she could smell her wildflower hair. She had no time to consider a response, she ought to tell him off for being presumptuous and for using her name, but she didn't have the energy and before she knew it the dance was over. The prince was on one knee at her feet still holding her hand.

People applauded but she couldn't look around. Her head swam. The prince before her looked up. His green eyes sparkled with pleasure, but there was sadness there too. He kissed her hand and stood. The sea of noise that had hammered her eardrums was suddenly quiet.

"Who are you?" She asked quietly. People began moving around them again. She knew the archduke must be hovering somewhere nearby to pair her up for the next dance.

"Your friend" the prince replied. No. She thought. It can't be. I am seeing things, hearing things, I have lost my mind. He squeezed her hand one last time and melted into the crowd.

"Princess" the duke's voice followed quickly "there is one last..."

That was all she heard. It was too much. She was exhausted, imagining things that weren't there, feeling Emma all around her like a ghost trying to reach across the threshold of life. Her dizziness reached paramount. Her throat felt constricted. Her vision blurred and then it was over.


	15. Chapter 15

Emma put everything she had into the kiss she left on Regina's hand. The feel of her skin against hers was almost too much for her to bear. For a moment she considered keeping her hand and making a run for it together, but it passed when her lips broke their contact. It was impossible.

She could feel all eyes on her, pressing her as hard as the need to get out of the castle as soon as possible. She could feel Regina's heart beating wildly as her fingertips still brushed the underside of her wrist. She looked up at her once more. One last time, one last glimpse. Regina's lip trembled. She knew.

"Who are you?" She almost whispered, but her gaze was locked to Emma's

Emma rose to her feet. "Your friend" she said, meaning it with all of her heart. She gave her one last smile and melted into the crowd around them.

She smiled automatically at a few people she passed. Blood rushed in her ears and all noise around her blurred in her anxiety to get out. Every woman she passed seemed to be trying to grab her with their eyes and more than a few of the men did the same. The next song started and people shifted to dance. She ducked and dived trying to get to the door that lead to the gardens.

"My dear prince" said an old man with a curled up moustache. He was dressed in an ornate doublet of royal colours.

Fuck fuck fuck.

"I don't believe we have been introduced. The Archduke to the House of Mills, Monarchs of the Western Kingdom of the Enchanted Forest"

Though he bowed Emma held out her hand to shake his. She was so close to the door, all she needed was to distract him. As soon as she was out she would be gone. She had warned Regina, said goodbye, done her job and danced at her ball, she had done everything and was almost away with it.

"It is good to meet you in person." She did her best imitation of a nobleman she had known a long time ago, Lord Alyn of the Summerlands. "Tell me, Archduke, in the Summerlands we have extensive water gardens, are there any such spectacles here?" She could see the cogs whirring in his mind, trying to remember the royal families in the Summerlands, their names and whether they had even been invited. "We have orchards too, any fruit you can imagine we have them. Do you have orchards of anything but apples here?" She tried

"Indeed majesty, let us drink to health of your noble family first, then we may discuss the virtues of the Enchanted Forest all evening if you so desire" he smiled knowing he had bought himself some time.

She smiled acquiescence though she began to sweat. He put his hand on her shoulder and led them away from the doors. He chatted and she pretended to be thoroughly absorbed in the dancing. She looked for Regina but couldn't see her.

"Indeed, Archduke" she said "very good"

He turned to her with a drink. "Please lead the toast" he passed her a glass of something that fizzed. Champagne she guessed. Sparkling piss, Pip called it. She smiled at the thought.

"From the great houses of the Summerlands, to the noble lines that course the Enchanted Forest like rivers" she paraphrased a speech Lord Alyn's son had given at a leaving dinner held for her and Pip when they had finished with his rehabilitation "may the gods of light and life shine down upon is both, may we be looking up to receive it. Walk in light" she finished with their greeting of good health.

"Tread surely" he replied. Emma was impressed that he knew the appropriate response. He drank, seemingly satisfied.

She pressed her glass to her lips, felt it wash against her top lip but didn't drink. The smell of elderflower filled her mind and for a moment she was among the flower sprays with Regina on one of their walks again. The archduke turned to put his glass down.

"Now" he said "you wanted to know about the palace gardens, is that so?"

This was her chance. Emma was gone. She slipped through the crowd. There was no way she'd make it to the outer door again, but she couldn't risk being here any longer. She flew up the grand staircase out of the hall that lead to the rest of the palace.

"Where's the bathroom, chaps?" She asked the guards as she approached. They were surprised by the question and seemed to relax to the image of a stranger fast approaching them.

"That way, my lord" one of them said.

"Very well, as you were" she passed them both quickly and was through the doors.

"Wotcher James" she smiled at the footman as she stalked past him. "If anyone asks, I went that way" she said, pointing in the opposite direction as she tossed him a gold coin. He caught it and stared at her in wide eyed confusion.

"Yes sir" he replied and she grinned. She broke into a sprint. All she needed was a window, a door, anything. Two guards met her coming around a corner and she slowed.

"Bathroom?" One of them pointed to the corridor on her left. "Very good" she said and turned to walk that way. She heard their heavy armoured footfall follow her at a distance. She came upon the door and slowly walked past it.

"It's that door sir, on your left" one of them shouted after her. She carried on. She heard them pick up their pace and turned her walk to a run again.

"Oi!" One of them shouted. She heard their armour clamour as they ran.

She turned right hoping for literally anything but more guards. It was a balcony. She made a mental note to put "dead ends" on her list of things she didn't want to run into. There were widows hung with long drapes along the wall but there was no way she could get to them, even if she leapt. The balcony looked out into an empty hall below.

The footsteps of the guards were almost upon her. She hauled a long sword from the hands of a nearby suit of armour. It was longer than she was used to but her height was an advantage. She could at least keep them away until she thought of something better.

"Here he is" one of them said. She might try and blag her way out of it if she didn't know what utter bastards the dark guards in this castle were.

"Alright chaps" she said "one at a time, make it fair"

They looked at one another and lunged at her in unison. She held her ground then ducked to the side at the last minute. The guard nearest her stumbled as his sword came down on the stone balcony. She kicked him hard in the side and knocked them both over. The way was free, she leapt for her exit.

Something caught her boot and she hit the floor with a thud that winded her. She rolled over to see the other guard get to his feet. His helmet had rolled away from him. She kicked free and scrambled upright.

He swung at her with his sword and she jumped back. She was quicker than him and less the weight of armour that weighed him down.

The guard she had kicked was getting to his feet. She hoped he at least cracked a rib, that might stop him from swinging a sword. She had to act if she was going to get away. She swung at the standing guard and he parried poorly, leaving himself open. In one swift movement she scooped the helmet from the floor and brought it up with all her strength. It contacted with the side do his head with a sickening crunch. He fell back into the other guard clutching his head.

"What?!" She heard behind her. Two more patrolling guards ran at her, swords raised.

"Oh shit" she said

She didn't have a second to think of a way out. She did the only thing that came to mind. She closed both hands around the hilt of her blunt, heavy sword and threw it as hard as she could. The guards shouted and lowered their swords to block it, running too hard to turn or get out of the way.

She didn't wait to see why happened. She turned to the two bested guards to see blood pouring from the face of one, the other had gotten out from under him. Emma ran at him and he bent, reaching for his sword. She was quicker and leapt over his back and the edge of the balcony.

ANYTHING she thought as she hoped she would land on something other than her legs. Something that wasn't her legs broke underneath her. She landed hard on a circular table full of folded linen and dinnerware.

"Thank you gods" she said scrambling out of the pile of broken dishes. There were shouts above her and she ran for the nearest door. It opened on a corridor. There was an external door. She walked calmly towards it but her slight limp aroused suspicions of the guards standing by it.

"You can't go that way, sir" one said

"Just need some air chaps, I'll be right back" She opened the door quickly and was out.

"Can he do that?" She heard one ask

"No!" The other shouted "stop!" He jumped after her.

This side of the palace looked completely different from the other. "Where the fuck am I?" She asked out loud

"What kind of prince doesn't take a bloody sword to a ball, you absolute tosspot!" Came a voice she vaguely recognised. A sword was thrust into her hand. She turned to see a man in a green doublet jabbing, cutting and slicing at the two guards. She leapt right in to help.

"The steps to your left" the man shouted.

Emma deflected a swipe coming down on course to the redheaded prince's neck. This sword was much better, she could actually attack now. Her guard backed way off, recognising more than his match in her.

"Get back here you bloody coward!" The other guard shouted.

Emma and the mystery prince approached the remaining guard, swords raised. He yelled and charged at them. His sword was met easily by the prince and Emma swiped his legs from under him. The redhead threw his sword away, grabbed the shoulder of Emma's now slightly frayed jacket and hauled her down the stone steps.

They hit a gravel path and she let herself be lead, though the hand on her shoulder had gone with the guy now running ahead of her.

"Where are we going?" Emma asked, wondering now that her most pressing mortal threat was over if she should be trusting this complete stranger.

"Hurry up!" Was his reply "the palace will be on lockdown any minute now. Emma, run!"

The quiet conversation in the carriage subsided. Lucy, in prince form rolled up her doublet and used it for a pillow. Pip sat beside her and Emma rested her head on his shoulder. Her heart rate had slowed to its natural pace. The quiet of evening pushed it's way into their carriage as they plodded up the road. Moonlight lit the night outside, it filtered through the forest lighting their way, growing brighter as the trees thinned and they passed the first village. Emma sat back from the window. There was no one around but they still had to be careful.

As they pulled away from the last of the trees that marked the edge of the hillside town, the palace sailed into view, beautiful as it was ominous. A dull ache filled Emma's chest. She felt tiredness like a heavy blanket suppressing all her limbs.

She couldn't tear her eyes from the fortress in the distance. It was the last time she would see it, the last time she would see Regina's home. She had no feelings about the palace itself. All the hidden architectural detail, the masterpieces that lined the corridors, the extravagance that lined every piece of furniture, every window, every staircase. Emma was enamoured by none of it. She barely noticed it. Since she had first watched the princess's lip curl in irritation, to last time her eyes brushed over the innocent face that hid her tumultuous soul, Emma Swan had cared for almost nothing else.

Every inch of her ached. She shifted in her seat and rolled her shoulders. It was all such an effort. She let her head fall back against the carriage wall as she stared at the building that held Regina captive, though not for much longer. Maybe she could ambush her carriage on the way to Leopold, steal her away and they could live as outlaws. No, Regina living in the forest? It was a stupid idea. Regina had someone to dress her for god's sake.

The palace rolled behind a low building. Emma sat up and strained to see it again. Maybe Regina was looking out of a window into the darkness at that moment. The thought have Emma the slightest relief until the palace rolled out of view again.

They stopped at a tavern on the edge of the forest that Robin and Marian had vouched for. Emma had come outside for air and leant on the doorframe, before sliding down it and sitting to watch bats fly overhead.

"You can't be out here, Em" she heard without listening

"It's beautiful here, Pip" The tiny winged creatures ducked and dived past and around each other. They flew at such speed, they were incredible to watch.

"Yeah" he replied non-committally

"What if this is the place? What if this is where we're supposed to be? What if it's...home?" She asked and a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Do you think you might feel like that because the princess is here?"

"She won't be for long" Emma growled

"No. Maybe then another kingdom will feel like home, because their nightingales sing sweetly, or the rivers are clearer than glass. Em. You have to come inside"

"I can't" she said. The bats were the only things keeping her together, the only thing that helped.

"You can" he said. She didn't respond though she knew he was right. Her mind said move, her body was not interested. He looked down at her, crumpled on the ground and held a hand out. She took it and he dragged her up

"God you're heavy as a guy" he said

"I'm a prince, jerk" she said, pointing to the sigil on her chest, a swan with wings spread on a gold field.

"Prince Swan? That's funny" he said, supporting her as they walked inside.

"Prince Swan of the Summerlands, I'll have you know"

"Nice!" He said as they crossed the threshold of the pub. "Did you use Lord Delwyn's speech?"

"Yeah a bit"

"Gods, Lord Delwyn. That takes me back"

"There were rumors he took you back quite a lot"

"Well, people will talk" he grinned

The clamour of the chiming clock echoed down the hall and around Regina's head. She didn't count them. They didn't register any meaning with her, they just broke her sleep and increased the pressure in her head until they stopped. Then the quiet rang in her ears, louder than anything she had heard. Someone entered her room, spoke to her and left when she didn't respond. At some point the fire was lit to keep out the chill of the unseasonably cold spring.

Later, she didn't know how much later someone else entered. She didn't respond to them either. It wasn't that she wanted to be rude or difficult, she just didn't have the energy to do anything.

'I should say something' she thought 'I should roll over, get up, let her dress me' but she just lay there.

"I'm terribly sorry Miss Regina but the Queen is asking for you. Shall I tell her majesty you're ill?"

At that moment Zelena burst through the open door. "Honestly, lazy bones, the kingdom is crawling with handsome, eligible men and you're still in bed? You're so spoilt and ungrateful" Zelena came down on the bed with a heavy thump. Pain shot through Regina's legs. She sat up and tried to drag them from under Zelena. "Oops" she said sarcastically

"Get off my bed!" Regina pushed her off

"Now sis" Zelena grabbed her wrists and pushed her back "don't start a fight you can't win" her nails dug into her skin.

The maid had stepped way back from the bed and dithered watching them both. Regina launched herself at Zelena who screamed.

"You've never fought for anything, what do you know about fighting?" she shouted, freeing her arms and trying to restrain her sister.

Zelena pushed back, her knee caught Regina's hip. It stung and Regina's arms slackened. Zelena rolled herself triumphantly on top and pinned her arms. Regina used the momentum of her movement and her new physical strength to propel Zelena off her and over the side of the bed. The servant rushed to help her.

"Are you alright mi-" Zelena slapped her across the face and she immediately withdrew, head bowed.

"Get out!" Regina shouted at her

Zelena bared her teeth. "Mother will hear of what a barbarian you are" she spat and left

"Are you alright?" Regina asked the maid.

"Yes thank you Miss" she replied, her unbruised cheek turning red out of embarrassment, to match the one growing red out of violence.

"Ring for another servant and sit on the chaise" Regina said

"M-miss?" She hesitated at being told to sit down while she was supposed to be working.

"Please do as I ask" Regina replied. Suddenly she had a purpose and she was out of bed. She took a clean cloth from her basin cupboard, soaked it in the cold water and rung it out. She handed it to the confused maid who pressed it to her cheek. "I'm sorry, what Zelena did was horrible"

"I'm sure I deserved it, Miss"

"You didn't" Regina replied. A servant followed a knock a the door.

"Majesty" she bowed

"Bim, good morning to you"

"Good morning, Miss" Bim replied politely, though now it was afternoon.

"I'm afraid this girl, I'm sorry I don't know your name, through no fault of her own was on the receiving end of my sister's temper. Please see to it that she is properly attended"

"Yes Miss" Bim bobbed her head and gestured for the maid to come with her.

"And if it's not too much trouble, could you attend to me? I have been summoned by The Queen"

"Of course miss" she took the hand of the injured maid and led her from the room.

Regina looked around her and sighed. She tugged the corners of her bed sheet so it was more or less straight, then took a deep breath and dropped herself face first into it again. "I don't want to" she groaned to herself, hoping the universe might hear her and intervene.

Regina's hands shook and she couldn't still them. She would have to keep them tightly clasped for the journey to Leopold's Kingdom.

"So Emma was right" she thought before she could censor herself. Anxiety flourished in her stomach. Not Emma, the prince who had looked like her.

She pulled the edges of her travel gloves once more and straightened them. They were soft and pleasing to touch. They were not her favourites, they had been packed away because they clashed with the hint of blue in her outfit. She didn't have many blue things, she preferred black, white and grey with deep reds if she needed to add colour. It was the opposite of Zelena's signature green and as much distance as she could put between them, the better.

The gloves she wore were white doe skin. Her dress was grey and white, loosely corseted to make travel slightly more bearable, and a brooch of blue. It was not the same blue as Emma's cloak, or the sparkling emerald of her eyes, but it was somewhere in between, and that almost made it better.

"Breakfast is served, Majesty" Regina's maid said from the door.

"Thank you, Dorota"

She glanced at her reflection in the glass and sighed. She barely recognised herself. For weeks she had gotten up and been dressed, breakfasted quickly and come back to her room to fuss over her appearance again until she was certain she was pleased with the result. She didn't recognise the dull face of the woman looking back at her. Her cheeks were more shallow, her eyes less their sparkle, her smile was gone entirely. She needed a visit to the hanging tree, though she knew it would never help her like it used to. Every memory, every vice she needed to draw on was tinged with guilt, sadness and another feeling that she couldn't name. Her eyes settled on the brooch.

She slid the gloves off quickly and went to pass them to Dorota. She wasn't there. She didn't remember dismissing her, though that didn't mean it didn't happen she supposed.

She glanced at her room one last time. What would she miss here? Her view of the forest? The comfort of the familiar? All of her things were packed but they held little value for her. There was nothing for her to miss in the castle, but she still didn't want to leave. She loved the landscape and the forest, the diversity and the heart-warming accent of the common people. She loved the strongly defined seasons, finding new gifts in each of them, from the freshness of spring buds to the pallet of Autumn colours. And Emma felt like she was here. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and headed down to breakfast.


	16. Chapter 16

Emma took a deep breath and breathed out slowly, through nearly pursed lips. She had only just escaped the palace with her life last time, and now she was going back. It seemed like complete madness but she had to uphold her end of their deal. It was a simple enough task, but the real implications of it, she had no idea. She felt Rumplestiltskin's snare all around her. The only advantage she had was that she expected it. She knew she was a pawn once again, but she had made her deal, warned Regina and danced with her one last time. The imp had told her exactly where to go, but how to get there had required insider knowledge from Lucy. She breathed slowly out again.

"I can't believe I'm doing this" she whispered to herself while visualising her route into and through one last time before she took it.

"Me either" Pip replied

"I can, you absolute nutter" Lucy chimed in

"Shut up" Emma hissed back at them. They smiled at each other behind her. "Do you have a better idea?" She asked, rhetorically.

"Aye" Lucy replied "Forget the imp. Nick Regina's horse and believe me, she'll come after you. She'll kill you once she finds you, but at least ye'll be together, right?"

Emma sighed "Alright I'm going. Please try not to die without me"

Pip nodded. She slid out of their hiding place near a wood store, strode up to the closest external door to the dungeon, knocked and waited. There had to be a guard on the other side, right? She turned to look at Pip and Lucy. She shrugged and they stared back, unsure of what to do. Suddenly the door creaked open and her head spun to meet it.

"What do you want?" A guard asked in a gravelly voice.

"I think you're looking for me" Emma said "your queen wanted me"

He looked her up and down lasciviously. It made her skin crawl. That wasn't what she had meant and he knew it. She could read his body language like a book and could see in the twitch of his fingers he was about to reach out for her.

"Alright darling" he went to grab her but she leapt backwards. "Oi" the sickening softness fled from his expression.

"I'm serious, your queen has people looking for me" she said again

"Then they would have caught you, street rat" He turned to close the door.

"I'm asking to be locked up, don't be an idiot" she said

He paused and turned to her "What did you just call me?"

"She'll have you for dinner if she finds out you had me here and let me go" Emma tried

"I'll have you for dinner in a minute" he went to grab her wrist again and almost got it. He fell forwards slightly.

She hooked her fingers around the edge of his breastplate and used his own weight to throw him to the ground. Pip was on him in a second. Knee on his chest, he pulled the helmet off his head and smacked him out cold with it. "Go!" He hissed at Emma "I've got this" he began taking the guard's armour.

Lucy squeezed his shoulder, hopped over the guard's legs and was through the door. She grabbed Emma's hand as she went.

"Keep up, dancer, I thought you was supposed to be quick" she said, running down the empty corridor that, gods willing, would stay that way. Emma followed her behind a tapestry and through a heavy wooden door with well oiled hinges. The passage behind was dark and winding. Emma imagined the horrible traps that might have been put in place to catch out unwelcome guests. Lucy knew her way well and was quick.

"There's a few sets of stairs" she said, starting on the first. The stone was worn down in the middle, making slipping easy. "Careful, there's a trip step coming up"

Emma barely had time to wonder what a trip step was before her foot hit it and she toppled into the stairs in front of her. Strips of pain tore into her shins, knees, hips and chest.

"Fuck" she said, getting to her feet again. She was slightly winded but didn't have time to catch her breath.

Lucy took her hand and pulled her back to her feet. "Come on, Miss" she said setting off again. Emma followed up the stone spiral. She glanced out of arrow slit windows she passed and saw nothing but night, forest and guards. Her calves burned as they ran upwards for what seemed like miles.

"Another trip step, miss" Lucy panted

Emma was ready for it this time. She saw it, twice as tall as the others, perfectly designed to slow down intruders. She hopped over it, with less grace than she usually would have. She wanted to ask how much further, but thought better of it in case she didn't like the answer. Lucy hopped off the spiral staircase into what looked like a dark window that was shuttered closed. Her hands splayed, feeling around in the darkness. She found a rough, circular knot and pushed it. To Emma's surprise it popped out quite easily. Lucy stuck her finger through the hole and pulled the panel towards her.

"Woah" Emma said as the shutter folded into two panels and slid to the side. They both peered along a narrow corridor. Emma went first, letting Lucy close the door behind them and put the knot back in. "Shit, this is tight" Emma said, feeling the closeness of the walls around her. There was just enough space either side of her shoulders to walk facing forwards. Anyone bigger or in armour would struggle.

"I know" Lucy said "keep going"

"Seriously, what is this passage for?" Emma asked as she ducked seconds before she would have hit her head on the sloping ceiling.

"My guess? An escape route for bairns if the castle was under attack" Lucy replied "Emma you need to go quicker"

"Hey, you said my name" she smiled and picked up the pace. "What's bairns?" The stone seemed to get warmer beneath her fingers.

"Babies, children, wee royals. We're nearly there" Lucy said as Emma hit a wall.

"Yep, I'd say so" Emma replied. Her eyes had acclimatised somewhat to the darkness, but she still could barely make anything out. She heard Lucy rustling around and waited for her to find the next route or secret passage.

"Come on" Lucy said to herself

"What are you looking for?" Emma asked

"There's a brick that's actually a handle, it's made of wood so it should be warmer than the others"

"They all feel warm though" Emma said, crouching by her

"Yeah" Lucy said "that's my problem"

It was another tense minute before Emma spoke again. "Could we have gone the wrong way?" Emma asked

"No" Lucy said shortly "it's possible the door has been blocked but not many people know about it"

She fumbled for another minute. Emma wiped her face and realised how hot she was. She felt the warmth of the passage pressing in on her. It stuck to her like the darkness around them. She was on the verge of suggesting they go back when they heard a click.

"Thank the gods" Lucy breathed. She pushed and and a sliver of light sliced into the passageway. She peeked through and Emma crouched behind her to se. The room was not lit, but it was brighter than where they stood. She pushed the rest of the door open. The so called 'door' was tiny.

"Seriously?" Emma asked as she watched Lucy push her arms through. The gap was inches wide and maybe two feet tall. Lucy pulled herself through, scraping her cheek on the side, but that made her more careful. She managed to scramble through the gap.

Emma crouched. "I think your theory of a kid's escape route remains intact"

She unfastened the bag at her hip and placed it gently through the gap. She pulled herself through, gracelessly but she got through.

"Fuck" she got up awkwardly from the floor and tied the bag back to her waist.

"You ok?" Lucy whispered

"Yeah" Emma rubbed the knee that had come down hard on the marble hearth. They had just climbed through a panel next to a large open fire.

"Ok through, here" Lucy pointed at the door just viable in the next room "the queen's chambers are across the landing. There's two guards at the door so..." Lucy stopped talking and gulped.

"Ok, thanks Luce" she pulled her into a hug. Her arms wrapped all the way around her and rested on her ribs. She buried her face in the red curls that tumbled past her shoulders. "Thank you, Lucy" she said again. She felt her arms tighten around her waist. Emma pulled away and kissed her cheek. "For everything, I mean you never had to do any of this"

"Emma" she said, drawing a smile from her "not everyone has the chance to change their fate. Now go, before I decide I'm coming with you." Emma smiled at her one last time and was off.

There was no noise from the door she opened and closed behind her. She kept to the shadows along the walls of the landing and her feet in soft shoes made hardly any noise on the flags. She stopped at a suit of armour and peered around at the guards. They were inactive. She hoped they were sleepy. The only things on her side were speed and surprise. If she took a heavy sword she would lose both. The door of her chambers was ajar. She had to run for it.

She took one deep breath, in which she thought of Regina looking up at the falling tree, and ran. She tried to keep to the shadows and stay quiet. As she drew close she hit her top running speed. One of the guards jolted and shouted something unintelligible, which shocked the other into wakefulness. She was almost upon them when they realised what was happening. Both drew their spears in a cross in front of the doors and braced as she refused to slow. At the last possible moment she dropped to the floor and skidded beneath them on her knees. Her legs smacked into the doors, opening them further. She spun on her backside and kicked the doors closed. One hit a guard in the face and bounded back but another kick closed it and the force knocked the brace lock from it's bracket into place. She sat back on her hands and listened to the guard pound on the door for a moment before breathing out.

"That was entertaining." A cold voice said from behind her. A chill ran through her. She climbed arduously to her feet and turned to face Cora. "I do hope your visit is worth the trouble, Miss Swan" Emma bowed, hoping it would buy her a second to think. "Perhaps you thought these were my daughter's chambers, some sort of botched rescue mission?"

"So you agree she needs to be rescued?" Emma couldn't help but point out

Cora's laugh was sharp "I tried to rescue you both from yourselves but honestly" she held her hands up in exasperation "it's true what they say, a fool measures the depth of water with both feet and you are both foolish beyond measure" Emma's heart ached at the idea of Regina jumping into anything with her. "I have been more than patient with you Miss Swan, I really did hope you would take my advice. It's such a shame to lose a talented, tenacious young woman like yourself. The odds are stacked against us, which is why Regina's new position as queen of the White Kingdom is so necessary."

Cora's hand flew out at her and she flinched. "No, stop!" She said, her own hands shielding her from a blast that never came. She peeked over her arms to see Cora's expression, fierce and confused. She glanced at her hands then back at Emma. She lifted them to attack again. "Don't, please don't kill me!" Cora's eyes widened. Emma's heart beat loudly in her ears.

"What are you?" Cora asked, lowering her hands again

"Um, I don't understand the qu-"

"Who are you? You have magic" she crept up to Emma who stumbled back into the door.

"I don't know" Emma said

"Who are you?" The Queen bellowed

"She really doesn't know, dearie" said a voice in the dark

Cora spun around and hurled magic at it. It came back at her with equal force and a repulsive giddy laugh. There was a stumble and the cavalcade of magic broke. Emma had never seen anything like it. Her breath stuck in her throat and she silently suffocated watching them. Light cracked through the air and collided with darkness. Smoke and flashes and shining blackness was everywhere until it stopped.

"What do you mean she doesn't know?" Cora asked, glancing back at Emma who she had decided was the smaller of the two threats.

Rumplestiltskin stepped from the shadows. "She doesn't remember, and even if she did, she would never have heard of herself" he said. Cora's eyes narrowed to slits. "Because technically, she doesn't exist yet." No one spoke "Do I have to spell it out for you, dearie?"

"The lost princess?" Cora asked

Emma would have laughed if she hadn't been scared for her life and trying not to draw attention to herself. It was just another of Rumplestiltskin's traps. She was no princess.

"The lost princess, the survivor, the saviour, the name matters not. She will fulfill the prophecy."

Cora snorted in laughter "The downfall of a dark queen? I doubt it. Look at her" she gestured at her and glanced up and down. Emma's skin goosebumped under her clothes. "This scheme reeks of you, Rumple. I don't believe this street urchin is anything of the sort. For one, I found her for Regina, and well, Regina's affection for her is a separate issue entirely. How could you have orchestrated that? Her feelings are a genuine as they are misguided. No. This is a trap"

Regina's affection? Feelings? She could still feel her lips on her own. Emma's heart throbbed again.

"Yes, it is dearie, and you don't know that you're already caught." he laughed and flourished his hands "The prophecy was meant for Regina, but with a little...tweaking, I've managed to speed things up a bit"

Cora shook her head "Impossible, you can't have brought her from the future. Time travel can't be done"

"Well not time travel, no. But when you can see the future, it's easier to find a work around. Time moves differently across the realms. Forwards, backwards, sideways. With some careful realm-hopping, we've managed quite the feat, Miss Swan and I"

That sounded ridiculous, and yet completely possible. Emma was staring at the stone flags and something almost came back to her. A memory snagged on what he had said. The White Kingdom, Cora had said. Why did it sound so familiar? Had she been there? Had she taught there? When? Where even was it? Cora and Rumplestiltskin argued back and forth but her mind was shutting them out. The White Kingdom and crossing realms. There was an ache in her chest. Something bad was going to happen. To Regina? To her? To someone she cared about?

"Well well, dearie"

That was Emma's cue. She looked up at him, still smiling at Cora. He had told her what to do, but did she trust him? He was trying to trick the queen, what good could come of that? Surely it was just one evil trumping another. She quietly drew the string of the bag and put her hand inside. What she felt horrified her. Warm and almost viscid. She grasped it and pulled it out slowly. She felt it's beat in her palm. It was a heart, glowing, pounding with life and swirling with darkness inside.

She heard Cora gasp and Rumplestiltskin laugh sharply. She approached Cora quietly but hesitated at the last moment. She turned to her on instinct and was momentarily stunned to inaction at the vision before her. Rumple grabbed her wrists and pulled them tight back into her shoulders, she couldn't move.

"Do it!" Rumple shouted. The queen looked genuinely terrified and Emma panicked.

"Do it and Regina will only end up getting hurt" Cora pleaded.

"Do it or I'll kill her! I'll make her wish she was never born!" Rumple spat

She had no doubt his threat was real. Emma thrust her hand and the heart into Cora's chest and she gasped again. The coldness fled her eyes and was replaced with something else. She suddenly looked human and in desperate pain. She clutched Emma's arm as she fell slowly to the floor. Emma caught her and knelt with her as her chest heaved in dry sobs. Emma's eyes and mouth were wide as she felt the anguish and fear rolling off the other woman in swaithes. She tore her eyes away to see Rumple hovering, his expression torn between satisfaction and disgust.

"You said it wouldn't hurt her!" Emma shouted

"Not physically. One could even argue that it's beneficial to have all of your body parts in one place. Really, I did her a favour" he replied

Tears streamed down Cora's face. She grasped Emma's hand. "Regina is gone" she said

"No" Emma replied, searching her eyes for the lie she needed to find there.

"She left yesterday" she sobbed "my poor girl"

Emma watched in horror a moment longer before looking up to Rumplestiltskin "You said I would be able to help Regina!"

"And you can, you're just a little late. Good luck finding her before she gets to Leopold" he giggled

Emma stood, turned to the door and threw it open. A herd of palace guard stormed in.

"Stop!" Cora shouted from the floor. "Let her pass" They stood aside in an instant though they scowled at her. "Get him!" She pointed to Rumple.

Emma didn't wait to see what happened. She ran down the corridor in a direction she thought was probably towards the kitchen. She passed some confused looking guards and one caught up with her.

"Hey" he said, pulling off his helmet "where's the princess?"

"Oh fuck, Pip you scared me! She's already gone, we need to get out, we have to go after her"

He grabbed her elbow. "This way" as they turned down a corridor they ran straight into James. He jumped thinking he had just hit a palace guard, then smiled seeing it was her and Pip.

"Alright you two?" he asked

"Quickest way to the stables, James?" Pip asked

"You're really close. Go out that door, down the steps and you're practically there. You err..alright?"

"We're great, thanks James, see you" Pip smiled at him and they were gone.

Lucy looked up hearing Pip's armour clanking and her mouth fell open at the sight of them. "What the bloody hell-"

"Regina's gone" Emma said as they reached her. She bent double to catch her breath

"What?"

"Regina, she went yesterday" Emma gasped for air and Lucy gaped looking between her and Pip.

"It's only a day and a half's ride to Leopold's kingdom" Lucy said to Ruby who frowned back at her, refusing to acknowledge Emma's existence.

For a moment no one spoke. Emma and Pip caught their breath. Ruby watched them all through narrowed eyes. Emma stood, took a deep breath and brushed the hair away from her face. Now she was out of mortal danger, her knees throbbed where they had hit the stone floor. The White Kingdom was still nagging at her. Whatever it meant, she knew Regina couldn't get there, for all of their sakes.

"Rocinante" Lucy said eventually, staring at Emma

"What?" Emma asked

"Luce, you can't be serious" Ruby said

"He's the only way we'll catch up to them"

"But they're a day ahead of us" Pip said

"They have a carriage and full guard, we'll cut through the forest. We can catch them" Lucy replied, turning to Ruby and wiping her mouth as if she couldn't quite believe she was saying it either.

"And what if you do catch them up? What are you going to do?" Ruby asked

"We're going to save the princess" Pip said "how quickly can we go?"

"The Queen'll have you dead by sun up" Ruby said. There was a hint of warmth and sadness in her voice. She might hate Emma, but it seemed she agreed Regina needed saving and she wasn't above giving credit where it was due.

"The Queen told me to go" Emma said

Ruby frowned at her, then looked at Lucy. Lucy nodded and her eyebrows rose slowly in realisation. Emma's other girl, the one she loved, was Regina.

"Gods be good" Ruby said, walking over to them with a look in her eye that seemed not far off respect. "Do you want me to scout ahead?"

Lucy broke into a smile "Thank you Ruby, can't hurt can it?"

She saddled up Rocinante first. He stamped as she lead him from his stable. "I know you don't know her darlin', but she's going to save Regina" he stamped again and Emma jumped. The vibrations echoed through the stable. He was solid muscle, chestnut brown, beautiful, enormous and terrifying.

"Lucy I'd really be fine with one of the others" she said nervously

"Emma, I know these horses like I know my own brothers. You have Rocinante, Pip you've got Major" Emma nodded nervously. Lucy turned back to the horse and rubbed his nose. "See, she's alright, and she's going to take you to Regina"

Once Lucy had them mounted and ready she climbed atop an enormous Clydesdale and lead them from the stable. Rocinante reared at the sight of Cora and Emma pulled the reins tight to stay on top of him. He grunted and stamped and she rubbed his mane instinctively.

"I can't go with you, but you will need this for the guards to believe I sent you" As she waved her hand a scroll appeared in a puff of smoke. She threw it to Emma who caught it "Good luck" she said with tears in her eyes. Emma could hardly believe what she was seeing, but Cora was completely genuine.

They took off at a frightening pace. Lucy's horse seemed to know where he was going already. He was surefooted and trusted her completely. Rocinante kept up with them easily, though he was less sure with Emma on his back. She spoke to him reassuringly. "We're gonna do this, we'll find her, you can do this" and sometimes less reassuringly "I really don't want to die. Please don't let me die before we find her"

Pip and Major brought up the rear, looking out for anyone following them and keeping up with the others.

"Pull up!" Lucy shouted, bringing them to a halt in a clearing lit by a bright full moon.

"What is it?" Emma asked, out of breath

"Ruby" Lucy said as she jogged into sight. She was panting, heaving air into her lungs like she had run the whole way on foot. Emma had no idea how she had gotten there before them.

"The path is clear all the way to the gorge" she sucked in another breath "but they're getting ready to bring the bridge up for the night. Go now or you'll miss it and you'll not get across until morning"

"Thank you Ruby!" Lucy shouted as she kicked her horse into action again. Rocinante and Major followed regardless of what Emma and Pip were about to tell them.

After the brightness of the clearing the forest seemed dark, too dark to ride so quickly in. It was dangerous and Emma was genuinely scared for the first time. She almost closed her eyes and just held on until they pulled onto a road.

"Lower the bridge!" Lucy shouted to two men in the distance. They held torches and turned a crank that lifted the bridge completely away from one side. She shouted again but they ignored her. "Bloody idiots" she shouted.

Without slowing for a second she produced a bow, nocked an arrow and let it fly. It sheared one of the ropes in half and the bridge creaked ominously. They were almost upon it. Rather than lower the bridge the men ran to get out of the way.

"Emma go!" Lucy shouted as she loosed another arrow.

Rocinante took the lead from behind, raced up the sharp angle of the raised bridge and leapt. Emma looked down as they went and saw nothing but rock faces sliding into darkness as the sound of distant rushing water filled her ears. This time she did close her eyes until they hit the other side. After a moment she heard a loud crash and hoof beats behind them. Pip and Lucy had made it too.

"Oh my god, you're amazing" she said to the horse "I can see why she loves you. I love her too, let's go get her!"


	17. Chapter 17

_**Yay update time! Thanks for being so patient and for all your comments 3 There's one more chapter after this. I hope you like it!**_

* * *

Regina watched the world change from the carriage window. The pine forest thinned and dropped away around her. The rocky terrain descended into rolling hills and shrub land. Silver birches that she once would have found beautiful punctuated the greenery. The colour of her world seemed to be draining away the further she got from home.

They were making good time when they stopped at a tavern for the night. It was large enough to incorporate all the guards and horses as well as give Regina her own room. She leant her head against the casement and watched the sun set from her window. Even the sky seemed smaller here, obstructed and suffocated. Someone brought food which she said she didn't want but it was left on the dresser. She stayed where she was, trying to think of anything but the throb in her head and the hole in her chest.

A while later there was a knock at the door which she ignored. The door opened anyway. She tried not to think about how often her wishes would be ignored in her new home. At least some of the maids and guards at home had done as they were told.

"Regina?"

Her heart stopped.

"Oh my gods"

She covered her eyes. The door closed and she looked up, hoping she had gone.

"Hi" Emma smiled at her from the other side of the room.

Regina closed her eyes again and rubbed her head "I've lost my mind"

"You haven't" Emma crossed the room

"Stop!" Regina threw out a hand as she stepped back and hit the wall.

"Regina, I'm real, I'm here, look" Emma held out her hand

"Don't!" She said and Emma's hand froze inches from where she had pulled hers back. She breathed out and looked away from her "I thought I could handle this. I thought I was strong enough. I thought I would be okay if I just stopped thinking about you. I mean, her, gods."

"I'm not in your head, Regina, I'm right here. Please touch my hand so you know"

"No!" Silence filled the space between them

"Please?" Emma asked quietly

"I can't" she looked at her and away again

"Why?"

"Because then I'll know you're not here. I'll know you're not real and that would be worse than being haunted by visions of you. What if you disappear?" Regina looked up and her eyes shone with tears. She took in Emma's face properly for the first time.

"Hi" Emma smiled again and hoped she would really see her "I'm here to take you home"

Regina frowned "The White Kingdom is my home now" she replied mechanically

"Not yet"

"My mother would have you dead before we left this tavern" she said flatly.

She had dreamt this scenario a hundred times, never had it been so dissatisfying. There was always a dramatic change that freed them from her inevitable future.

"She wants you back. She sent me after you, Regina"

There it was, the implausible, impossible get-out clause.

"Did you get here by magic then? And if so what took you so long?" Regina asked, determined to reason her out.

"I didn't, we came by horse"

"We?"

It was usually just Emma. Quick, clever, strong and brave Emma come to rescue her from her fate. The untouchable daydream that cast a shadow over everything she did. But Emma was dead and she knew that. She wasn't here to rescue her.

"Pip and Lucy are downstairs"

"What?" This had to be a dream. It was ridiculous.

"I rode Rocinante"

"What?" She repeated. Emma shrugged in reply. Regina stared before looking out of the window towards the stables, heart aching that she hadn't been able to ride him on Cora's orders. "My baby"

"He's no baby, Regina, he's enormous and he doesn't like me very much" Regina's eyes lifted to hers "but the more I spoke of you, the better we got along"

Regina's hand covered her mouth, the other grasped Emma's arm. She was starting to believe it when she realised they were touching.

"No" she let go of her arm quickly

"Why?" Emma asked with a groan "why won't you believe me?"

"I can't Emma. It's too much, it's not possible, it's everything I want. It can't be real" she covered her face with her hands. She couldn't hold her tears at bay any longer. She tried to keep her breathing regular even as her palms became wet from crying.

"I'm going to touch you" Emma said as she wrapped her arms around her. It took a moment for Regina to even feel them. She turned into her and slid her own arms around her waist.

"I want you to be real" she said into her shoulder "I want you to be here. I want to go home. I want you to be alive and well even if you're not with me"

"As long as I'm alive and well and you wish it, I will be" Emma said and kissed her temple. She smelled of wildflowers. With flushed cheeks and wet eyes Regina pulled back a little to look at Emma.

"Am I mad?" She asked in a whisper

"No more than ever" Emma replied. Regina's dark eyes searched hers, unsmiling.

"Is this a trick?"

"If it is then I'm not in on it"

"Why are you here?"

"Because I love you, and I can't let you go to Leopold"

Regina's heart ached but she couldn't accept it, not yet.

"Why didn't you come before?"

"I did, I danced with you to say goodbye and to warn you"

"Prince Swan" Regina shook her head a little as if she had always known

"At your service, princess" Emma smiled

"You called me by my name that night"

"And you were too tired to tell me off, but you danced beautifully"

Regina closed her eyes. She knew Emma was dead. None of it could be real.

"You warned me about being betrothed already"

"Yes"

Her heart felt like it was in her throat as she looked up into Emma's summer eyes. It was so close, she wanted to believe her so much.

"Noble, but it hardly matters" the lump in her throat gave a tremor to her voice

"Why?"

"A prince, a king, I'm going to become a wife regardless, even if it makes me a queen. Another queen. Any queen."

"You'd be my queen, wherever you went"

"But I'm not a queen"

"Of course you are" Emma said

Birds sang outside in the night and the sound was the only one in the room but their breathing.

"I've lost my mind" Regina said softly, closing her eyes, letting her head fall to Emma's shoulder again. Emma pulled her closer.

"Then I must have lost mine too" she replied "at least we're lost together"

Regina leant up and kissed her. It was real. She felt a rush so overwhelming she knew it was real. She knew it in her heart but she still couldn't open her eyes. She kissed her harder, pulled her closer and sighed louder. Emma let her for a moment before pulling back.

Regina felt her tears wiped away and a warm kiss placed on her nose. She couldn't quite keep a smile from creeping onto her face.

"Open your eyes" Emma said. She swallowed and didn't. "Regina. I'm still here, it's still me"

Maybe this was the last test. She'd heard the promise, accepted what she said, she'd kissed her like it was her last chance and this was the part where she woke to the voice of her handmade telling her how lucky she was, to become a queen, how excited she should be. Her eyes stayed closed. Emma kissed her again. It was soft and gentle, almost chaste.

"I will kiss you forever if that's how long it takes for you to know I'm here"

"If this is madness I want to be mad forever. If it's a fever I hope I never get well." Regina said softly

"I thought we talked about the hanging tree"

"Emma!" she opened her eyes just to tell her off "Do you understand what this means if you're not real? Do you understand what it means if you are? Either I'm mad or I'm going home and could start a war with a neighbouring kingdom"

Emma's eyes said she hadn't really thought about anything beyond the exact moment they were in.

"W-would you choose to marry Leopold?" Emma stammered, failing to hide the disgust from her face.

Regina pursed her lips. She had always known what her life would be. A second daughter is not worth much. She would always live in service to the throne and never sit upon it. She took her duties seriously. Her fortitude was being tested. She thought of her mother, her sister, what it would mean for the kingdom. Emma's arms around her loosened.

"Choice is everything" Regina said quietly "if it's a real choice"

"It is"

"How can I believe you? You're in my head!"

Emma's eyes swam with tears as if she had never considered this. She took Regina's hand and marched to the door. They startled the guards posted outside who didn't seem to know what to do. Emma pulled her down the stairs.

"Emma, what-?" She waved a dismissal at guards who approached them with hands on the hilt of the swords.

"There" Emma pointed at Pip at the bar. He didn't see them, too busy chatting people up.

"And Lucy must be here somewhere, oh hey I know these two"

Hands still clasped together Emma brought her to two people sitting at a table. Guards loitered nervously nearby.

"This is Marian and Robin. They're traders who came to town for the ball. They're not bad dancers either. Guys this is Regina"

Robin nodded and Marian smiled a hello.

"I've seen you dance at The Reel." Regina glanced at Emma and back at them. Marian was the dancer who had captured Emma's awe and made Regina sickeningly jealous "You're very good. I'd never seen anything like it until then"

"Just a hobby" Robin smirked

"Regina...as in Princess Regina?" Marian asked, glancing at Emma and their joined hands

"That's the one" Emma said. Robin almost fell of his chair and Marian stood to curtesy

"Oh no, please don't do that" Regina said, looking around hoping no one had seen. Marian bobbed her head but stayed standing.

"You know where Lucy went?" Emma asked

"The red headed girl you came with? Out that way" Marian pointed and they were gone.

"They seemed nervous" Regina said, glancing over her shoulder as Emma took them towards the door "what do they trade in?"

"Other people's goods"

Regina gasped at Emma and shook her head at a guard coming quickly towards them. Emma seemed oblivious to all of them, or she just didn't care.

"The stables, of course" Emma said to herself.

Rocinante whinnied and kicked in his stable as soon as he heard Regina's voice. She let go of Emma's hand and ran to him.

"She's happy to see you but she's happier to see the horse. That's brilliant" Lucy said from somewhere close by.

"Rossi" Regina whispered as she stroked his nose. He nudged her face and she laughed. "I heard you brought Emma here" He grunted "you clever boy. You're taking me home too, but not tonight. Rest and we'll go in the morning. I'll bring you an apple." She stoked his nose and face. "Has he been fed?"

"Not yet, majesty" Lucy said. "There's oats over there. I'm away to tie up his hay bale."

"I can do it" Regina said, picking up the tough netting that surrounded the hay.

She ducked under the bar that nominally kept him in the stable. She untied the empty one, hefted the new one up and tied that to the bars. She changed his water too and Emma watched as Lucy made up a nosebag of oats.

"You got this one, dancer?" she asked on her way out

"Yeah, here" Emma dug around in her pockets for money

"Don't you dare, I've got a room sorted already" Lucy said as she walked away smiling. She shook her hair out of the tie it had been in as she went. "Night" she waved without looking.

"Night Luce" Emma replied.

Regina reappeared after a while. She was sweating a little and her dress was dirty around the hem but she was smiling. To Emma she had never looked more beautiful.

"Maybe he is your baby after all" Emma said

"He is" she looked back at him again.

"Do you believe me now? Do you believe this?"

"I think so" Regina said but it came out quietly. Emma pulled them together. She drew her breath in sharply and looked around. "Emma someone could see"

"So?"

"So" she pushed her away gently "I don't want to start a war if I can help it"

"So you choose going home?" Emma asked, eyes wide

Regina looked up at her. She was no longer her teacher. She was never really just her friend. She was only Emma, and she was everything. She drank in her cautious excitement for a moment and let them teeter on the edge of what could be their future.

"I choose you, silly girl" Regina said.

The hand that had nudged them apart still rested on Emma's chest. Regina's thumb brushed over her heart. Emma stared disbelieving for a moment before she picked Regina up and spun her around.

She squeaked in surprise and held on as Emma laughed into her neck. It only lasted a second and when Emma put her down Regina found their hands together.

"I'm going back to my room. I'll see you tomorrow" Regina said, though she didn't want to move.

"Yeah. I'm taking you home" Emma said quietly and Regina smiled. Tears welled in her eyes and she swept out of the stable before Emma could see them fall.

Emma followed a moment later and watched Regina disappear up the stairs. The guards settled into their places again and seemed much less anxious with her safely out of the reach of the public.

"What are you doing down here?" Pip asked with a waggle of his eyebrows

"Oh fuck off, Pip, she's a princess, she's got some standards"

"So sleeping with you in a tavern is beyond her?" he asked with mock innocence.

A glimpse of their night in the Reel flashed through her mind. Regina's lips as she gasped. Emma turned her head to get rid of it.

"Being seen with anyone is dangerous" she said seriously

"You're both women though, it's looked on differently"

"This isn't the time for this argument"

"Fine." he held up his hands "Is it the time for beer?"

"Without a shadow of a doubt"

She was handed a tankard of black beer that only frothed a little on top. It tasted burnt and earthy and oddly comforting. So far it was The White Kingdom's only redeeming feature. She had one more and was considering a third when she stood and lost her balance a little.

"Oop. Time for bed" She said and left the group that had collected around them.

It wasn't until she was outside that she realised she hadn't arranged a room. Pip was well on his way to getting laid and she wasn't about to ask Lucy for any more favours. She considered bunking with her new friend Rocinante, until she saw a guard standing beneath what had to be Regina's window. Drunk and confident, she threw a rock as hard as she could in the opposite direction. It clanked on the far side of the yard.

"Who's there?" He asked the darkness.

She threw another handful of stones and he left his post to investigate. She easily climbed up a wooden beam to the open window, though it took more effort than she had expected to get through it. She managed to get gracelessly in before the guard came back.

"Are you awake?" she asked, far less quietly than she intended

"Gods, what took you so long?" Regina asked

* * *

Cora didn't really do guilt. She wasn't a fan of looking back, more of facing forward. She was not going to let her past actions get in the way of her girls' futures.

"You don't need a king to be a queen, Zelena" Cora said without looking up from her work.

"But I want one!" she sat back and crossed her arms "I don't want to do the" she waved at Cora's desk "administration"

Her mother sighed. Once she would have slapped her (or worse) for such graceless, disrespectful behaviour. Now she felt less anger, almost empathy. Almost.

"Being Queen means absolute power. Absolute power means absolute freedom. You have never known anything but privilege, what could you possibly understand?"

Regina stood at the window, watching Ruby lug a huge basket up the hill with surprising ease. She caught her eye and Ruby bowed. Regina smiled and nodded and watched her go the rest of the way before turning to her mother.

Zelena was seated the the chair opposite, nestled into its corner with a look of utter petulance on her face.

"I understand something of it" Regina said in a low voice.

Cora looked up for the first time since their conversation began with a questioning gaze. She couldn't help the reaction of fear and dread whenever her mother looked at her, but this one was different. There was warmth in it. She was interested.

"I understand the importance of choice, no matter who you are. I understand duty and I understand making shrewd decisions for the future, but there is no reason they cannot all be combined"

Cora's brow wrinkled as she watched. She put her quill down and sat back in her chair. Even Zelena uncrossed her arms, apparently ready to hear anything that would give her an element of control over her life.

"Zelena wants to escape the kingdom, I want to tend it. Leopold wants a young wife and you want an ally in the White Kingdom"

Zelena gasped. Cora and Regina watched her. There was no way Regina would force her sister to take her place, but if she wanted it, she would happily give it.

"Are you suggesting I marry Leopold? Is that a possibility?" Zelena asked

Cora watched them both carefully before answering. Regina hoped harder than she thought she ever had. She hoped Zelena's ambitions for a crown were high enough that she saw Leopold as an opportunity, not a sentence. She thought of Emma and hoped that she could stay.

"It is" Cora replied "if you want it. You would relinquish your claim to this throne to your sister. And you would be his wife, Zelena. Do not romanticise what that would mean"

"Oh, don't worry, I have no illusions there if you and daddy are anything to go by"

"Zelena!" Regina reprimanded

She rolled her eyes. Regina sighed in disapproval of her outburst. It was rude and disrespectful, but she couldn't disagree with her sister. She just didn't want to deal with it the way that Zelena did, throwing it all out into the open, wrenching out the raw pain that everyone was feeling since Cora got her heart back. She wanted quiet conversations and loud declarations of forgiveness, but it was unlikely she would be privy to any.

"Dears, you'd father and I have been married for a long time. There is history there that can never be forgotten. I have said that I will be a better mother to you, a better member of this family, and better to him"

Regina noted there was no mention of being a better wife, a better friend, a co-ruler. No, their father would never put himself between Cora and the kingdom. Even with her heart back that was a risk he wouldn't take.

"And he has promised to work on forgiving me so that we can be a family again"

Regina wondered if they ever were one to begin with. Zelena caught her eye, thinking the same. She sat on the arm of Zelena's chair and touched her shoulder.

"It sounds like you both have a lot to work on" Regina said "my point is that though you have plotted our lives out from birth, you might consider swapping our tracks. If Zelena wants to leave and I want to stay, this could work out well for all of us"

"No one would force you to give up your right to this throne" Cora said quickly.

"Of course not." Regina said, getting up again. 'But I would be forced to leave my home to marry a strange King and nanny his daughter' she thought.

"I leave to patch things up with Leopold first thing in the morning. I want your decision at breakfast or I will make it for you" Cora's head bent back to her paperwork.

"I'll...think about it" Zelena said, looking up at her sister with what looked like fear in her eyes. She had never been presented with the option of leaving. She had rebelled against the cage she was in forever, and now it was open she was frightened. The look was gone as quickly as it came "it might work out well for you and your fancy man. You can bribe me with presents until I have decided"

Fancy man? Regina felt like she had just taken a cannon ball to the stomach. Zelena had known about her love interest but never said that it was Emma. 'One half of your duo' was as close as she had gotten. She thought it was Pip. Her face must have shown her shock as Zelena smiled wickedly. Regina looked at her mother whose smirk said she had known it all, all along.

"I'll do no such thing" Regina said, and bent down to Zelena's ear "and it's fancy woman" she smiled, kissed her cheek and left the room holding her chin high. Zelena stared after her, eyes as round as two gold coins.


	18. Chapter 18

With Zelena and Cora gone to make peace with Leopold, King Henry was left in charge. That didn't stop all palace staff from going to Regina when decisions needed to be made. At first she forwarded them on to her father, but after a while it became easier to just answer herself. Unfamiliar with being needed for anything and suddenly imperative to everything, she finally lost her temper over which linens to use for dinner. She found the king reading in his library.

"Daddy, shouldn't the servants be asking your permission for these things?"

"Why would they? I'm sure I'd be happy with anything they provided" he turned a page without looking up at her.

"Well, why do they have to approve these things with us anyway? Surely they know the most appropriate dinner service to use and what starters to prepare?"

"Indeed"

Regina sighed and crossed her arms. "Do you want to do any of this?" she asked bluntly.

A small smile curled his mouth as he placed his book down on his lap. He shook his head and looked back at her brightly.

"What?" she asked

"You don't want to make decisions about linens, querida? Tell them that. Do you trust Mrs Tipping to make us a good meal?"

"Of course!"

"Then tell her she does not need to run menus past you. What do you want to make decisions about?"

"It's not my place…"

"Well imagine it is"

A skylark sang outside the tall, leaded window as she told herself she didn't know, whilst thinking about one or two friends she may have made at her ball. Fostering good relationships with Hylas especially could be great for their trade and influence with other kingdoms. She didn't speak but looked up to see her father's eyes, dark like hers, watching her in amusement.

"Make those decisions, mija"

After apologising to the maid who received the linen outburst, she ordered senior household staff to act with more autonomy and accepted her unofficial role as acting monarch. She found she knew more about running the palace and kingdom than she had realised. She approved changes to household arrangements that would reduce fuel wastage. She sent letters of thanks to the attendees of the ball and suppliers who had come from far away. She spent so much time being interrupted wherever she went that by day three she gave up the pretence of not needing an office and sat at Cora's desk for hours. By day four most of the urgent work had been done and she had enough time and energy to see Emma.

"Oh thank gods" Regina sighed as she entered the smaller dining room which Cora would only use for breakfast.

Emma was rigid in her seat at the dining table that she considered to be very long. When Regina entered she stood quickly and stumbled a little. King Henry sat at the head of the table watching her quietly with a small smile that made her sweat even more than she already was.

"You wouldn't believe the kind of day I've had." Regina said as she sat down opposite Emma. Servants jumped into action and food was served immediately. She greeted her father and he replied with a nod.

She talked through most of dinner. Every time a forkful made it close to her mouth she would think of something else she had to share and place it down again. She talked about the way the palace was run and how interesting it was, about how trade was up all over the kingdom because of the ball and how she wanted to do something for the servants.

"Maybe a party, but it can't be here because they would have to cater it. Can you think of anywhere, Emma?"

"Um, maybe a pub in town?" she said, though half her voice was lost to the echoing room and it sounded like a whisper.

Regina nodded and lost herself in thought while she ate food that had been hot when it was served, but was no longer. Henry hardly spoke throughout dinner. Emma answered when she was asked direct questions, but mostly they both just listened to how happy Regina sounded.

The next day Emma was invited to the study and ended up playing chess with the king who was there in an advisory capacity for Regina, though Emma observed no advising. All his attention seemed to be on embarrassing Emma by beating her in as few moves as possible.

"That's a good move" He said

"Really?" Emma sat up to review her pieces properly

"Yes, if you're planning on losing your queen on your next go"

"Excuse me, the queen is mine" Emma tossed back.

She wasn't comfortable but she thought she was putting on a good show of it. She glanced up at Regina who wasn't looking but was smiling as she worked. When she looked back at the king his eyebrows had risen. The smile dropped from her face and she blushed.

He hummed and smiled as he moved his piece. "Check"

Emma grimaced.

"Daddy, you really should be more gracious when you play our guests" Regina said. She shuffled papers together on her desk and handed them to an advisor.

"I don't want anyone to let me win" Emma insisted.

"You see" Henry said

"I do see" Regina replied, settling on the arm of Emma's tall-backed chair. "Gosh that's interesting"

"What?" Emma asked

Regina smiled "I believe the king had misread your style of play"

"I have a style of play?"

Henry cocked his head and reexamined the board.

"He thinks you're an tactical player, but you're far more oppositional than he has allowed for. By preempting the moves he thinks you will make, he has left himself open. If you survive the next move he could be in trouble"

"No! Where?" He asked

"I can't tell you" Regina said

"No seriously" Emma said "where? I want to win"

Regina laughed and let her head fall back as she did.

"Majesty, the final preparations for review" a voice came from the door.

"Yes, fine, I'll be with you in a moment" Regina answered in a firm voice. "Good luck" she squeezed Emma's shoulder and went back to her desk

For the first time in its history, royal guards stood at the entrance of The Reel. The people inside continued as usual, only slightly better behaved.

The room felt close as half of it had a low, beamed ceiling, like some people could be making very lucrative deals at one end and very regrettable decisions at the other. Anyone dancing on the tables late into the night would have to be careful which one they chose in case they knocked themselves out. The bar area was crowded despite the table service and people passed drinks over the heads of people waiting behind them. Palace reserve guards were posted intermittently around the room, but blended into the backdrop in their dark armor. They mostly went ignored as the population of the pub, all palace workers, were used to walking past them every day.

It was only noticeable that something has changed when Regina arrived. Initially she was flanked by two guards who she sent away once inside and they watched from nearby pillars.

Some prickling discomfort made Emma turn around and she saw the man, the trader who had tried to pick her up a few weeks ago. He seemed to have hooked a very young looking groundskeeping apprentice.

"Hey" Emma said to one of the guards "Not him. Out"

"Hang on mate" the man staggered slightly and Emma caught the stench of rum on his breath. "I'll stay if I want, and you're not the bloody queen" he sneered at her.

Regina turned on her heel, glanced over the man giving him a second to see the crown she wore and let his face drain of blood, looked to the guard and repeated Emma exactly. "Not him. Out"

He was gone in a flash, backwards through the door. Emma heard shouting and scuffling and a thunk that she didn't want to know about. All of that seemed fairly distant as she watched Regina's side profile. The woman she had first met at the palace was still there, only a veil had lifted, as if the thing that had kept her from the world was gone and she was unsheathed, raw, herself. The way she carried herself had changed and though she walked with more surety and smiled more often, she was still inscrutable sometimes, still tentative with her touch and still haughty, demanding the best from everyone. From Emma.

All attention was on Regina was they walked through the pub, though most people tried to pretend they weren't looking. Emma took them over to a spot near the dance floor but not too close. People stared at her too but as she was well used to being an interesting outsider and shrugged it off with ease. The ceiling opened up over the dance floor and it was overlooked by a second floor mezzanine level that held more seating and lead to the guest rooms. Light came in from two large windows at either end and large lanterns hung from the supporting beams for when the natural light would fail them.

"Are they having fun?" Regina asked with a wrinkled brow after a while.

"They would probably be having more if you weren't watching them" Emma replied. Regina gave Emma's arm a reprimanding tap with her closed fan. "You could always put on the glamour you made"

Regina frowned "I don't want to hide"

"I know, and I don't think you should"

"You don't?" Regina looked up with interest, Emma shook her head "what then?"

"How about instead of watching them you come upstairs" Regina pinned her with a look that said she was distinctly unimpressed, though not unamused. "I mean to the balcony, obviously" Emma clarified and cleared her throat

"Oh, I'm sure"

"I have no idea what else you could be referring to" Emma shook her head

"Nothing, nothing at all Miss Swan. Nothing any respectable woman could even imagine"

Emma grinned "Let's go the the balcony. You can spy on them subtly"

"I'm not spying!"

"Ok" Emma held her hands up "What's Lucy been doing?"

"I think she's going to dance, she finished her drink-"

"Yeah, you're probably right" Emma interrupted "not spying"

Regina rolled her eyes and followed Emma up the stairs. She managed to keep a straight face as they passed Emma's bedroom door and Emma coughed loudly. She hadn't been staying there while Cora was away and Regina was essentially ruling the kingdom. No doubt there was talk among the servants but she found that she cared very little. They would have to figure out a more sustainable way of existing, but in the weeks after Regina's emancipation from Leopold she found nothing troubled her as much as she expected. Everything was going to be manageable because she had everything she needed. She had a choice.

Emma had been right about the balcony. It was bright and airy up there and people tended not to look up. The people who dressed the royal family, who cooked their food, tended the gardens, fed the horses, set the fires and kept them safe danced and laughed below them.

Regina relaxed when she saw people having fun. Lucy seemed to spread joviality everywhere she went. Ruby was never off the dance floor with people queuing for a chance with her and Lucy periodically cutting in just to make them stew. Mrs Tipping turned out to be murder with a bow and played alongside an incredulous Pip.

Regina stopped watching everyone and actually enjoyed the music. She was drinking the palace-made sparkling cider but took sips of whatever Emma was drinking too just to try.

"I want you to dance" she said. Her elbow rested on the back of their bench and she twirled a strand of hair around her fingers

"Come with me then" Emma looked up at her from where she was tucked into her side.

"You know what I mean" Regina rolled her eyes "I want to watch you" If Emma choked slightly on her stout, Regina was far too polite to mention it.

More and more musicians came out of the palace workforce until they had a trio of fiddlers who strung up a familiar set. Everyone danced in arms and Regina stood and watched avidly.

"Come on then" Emma said, taking her hand from the balcony

"Come on, what?"

"Come on, your majesty" Emma replied over her shoulder

Regina laughed behind her "No, what are we doing?"

"Were going to dance"

Regina stopped on the stairs and Emma turned to look at her. "I...but...I can't dance to this"

"Of course you can" Emma said

Her head swam a little "I can't dance...here"

Emma climbed the intervening steps until she was one below her and almost nose to nose. "Are you saying you can't dance with _them_?" she asked quietly "because that's ok, it's a boundary you don't have to cross"

Regina looked through the balusters and out across the room. She spotted Lucy, resplendent in a blue dress, fiery red hair buoyant on her shoulders like she had never seen before. She cackled with laughter as she spun, arms up on the dancefloor. She watched Pip playing his heart out on a flute, she saw Ruby calm a fight between two men as easily as snapping her fingers. They had all gone so far beyond what she expected anyone to do for her, and they did it without a second thought. For her or for Emma, it didn't really matter who they had gone to task for, they had brought her home and she owed them far more than she could repay. She looked down at Emma who was one of them, but she was hers too, the bridge across the gap maybe.

"Do you think it would make them uncomfortable?" She asked looking across the other side of the room. Bim, chief housemaid, laughed at the bar with one of the footmen. The head butler was somewhere in a cloud of smoke near the door with Mrs Tipping who she couldn't really see but could hear.

"I don't know. Maybe at first" Emma said. She glanced behind herself and then behind Regina

"What?" Regina asked with concern

"Something for courage" Emma's smile glinted and she kissed Regina's lips.

Her mouth fell open and she turned quickly to see if anyone had seen. Absolutely no one was looking at them and the thrill of anxiety she felt turned into adrenaline.

"You terrible woman"

"I know" Emma said, leading her down the stairs again

"I can't imagine why anyone would put up with you"

"Very few do" Emma sighed and her shoulders sloped

"Only the most patient? The most agreeable?" Regina played

"The most stubborn" Emma corrected and Regina laughed. She squeezed Emma's hand as they moved through the crowd to where Marian stood watching people dance.

"Evening" Emma said

"Hi!" Marian smiled "I wondered where you'd got to" Her eyes fell on Regina and she bowed her head "Good evening, your majesty"

"It is, isn't it?" Regina replied with a smile that had been loosened by cider. "I trust you won't be doing any business tonight?"

"N-no ma'am"

Regina touched her arm "Excellent, then do you mind if I stand with you to watch the dancing?"

Marian breathed out "Not at all, ma'am"

Regina slid in between Marian and Emma. Someone brought a chair for her but she asked them to put it back and signalled for a guard to tip them for the consideration. Hidden between her dress and the fabric of Emma's tunic their fingers found each other and tangled together. Absolutely nobody cared to watch them when there was dancing to watch instead.

A tune started and Emma stiffened next to her. Two pipers played a lively song and a fiddler joined it.

"Do you know this one?" Regina asked

"Yes!" Emma answered "I love it"

"Ah come on dancer!" Lucy appeared and took her hand. Emma was pulled from the edge of the floor to the centre of it.

She laughed and spun Lucy before taking her arm and dancing. People joined in around them and Regina watched, smiling wide. If she was jealous of Lucy no one could tell by the smile she gave the pair. The dance seemed to be one lots of people knew. They broke from groups of two into groups of four. They skipped and ducked under each other's arms in a formation she didn't know, it was chaotic and beautiful. They formed two circles going opposite directions. The footwork looked complex until the music sped up and the circles broke down into laughter. They split off again and Bim took Lucy's hand, much to her delight by the looks of things.

Emma took Regina's hand and before she had a second to think or object she was in amongst it all. Emma had been right, she could dance to it. She was well-led, of course, but the music was so lively it made her want to move. She was light on her feet and the flashes of familiar smiling faces around her made it easier, not harder.

The song morphed into another which was lighter. A few people left and Emma's style changed. It became softer and her movements became more fluid. She twirled Regina and kept her close. She let her arms relax a little as they closed around her. They turned together and Emma didn't look around her, only at Regina.

"Chin up, Miss Swan" Regina said and Emma's dimples made her heart flutter "strong arms"

"They are strong" she pulled them closed together

"I don't believe you're concentrating"

Emma's only reply was to grin though her eyes seemed softer than usual. Regina found she didn't mind being silenced by her outrageous dimples anymore.

They didn't speak again for the rest of the song and when it ended they stepped away from the dance floor. Drums struck up and Regina saw Pip grinning at Emma.

Robin burst into the light, kicking and stamping as well as he had the first time she had seen him dance at the Reel. He danced right up to Emma, arms out, tapping like lightening on the floorboards. The crowd cheered and Emma shook her head at him.

It was a clear challenge. He stepped back and worked even harder than before, feet almost a blur.

"You sure you can keep up?" he shouted at her as he went "Dancing with Marian is one thing, but I'm faster"

"Aw" Marian said with faux-sympathy "That's not something to brag about sweetheart"

The tips of his ears redenned and he made a show of pretending he hadn't heard, swinging his arms around in a way that was probably intended to add flare but just looked a little absurd.

"I'll do my best" Emma said with a cocked eyebrow.

She squeezed Regina's hand and let go. She walked around the edge of the dance floor watching him. He was so smug, she couldn't wait to dance better than him. People always underestimated her. Regina had. Cora had. Every man she had ever met had. And now Robin had made the same mistake. She savoured the look on his face for one last moment before she wiped it off.

"G'wan hen!" Lucy shouted from somewhere in the crowd.

She sprung into action as the chorus to the song ended and her verse began. She had watched him carefully and got the general gist of his movements. Fast. A lot of taps. A lot of holding his arms out. It was quick but boring. She could do better, and she did.

She flew around him, wide glancing steps forward, when she jumped she spun and when she held out her arms it was with one hand on her hip and the other eliciting a cheer from the crowd. When she had chosen her surname she did it for a reason. Swans are elegant, they're big and fierce and eminently graceful and that was the dancer she wanted to be. She watched Robin's smile falter, watched Regina's grow and let the flutter in her chest direct the rest of her movements.

As the dance ended and everyone clapped Emma made her way to literally any surface she could find. Regina went to follow her but felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Majesty, if you wouldn't mind, could I say something?" Marian asked, eyes wide watching for her reaction

"You may" Regina replied with interest.

Marian breathed out "okay, wow, okay. It's about Emma" Regina's brow furrowed and something like the rumblings of fear crept into her mind. "She's a good person" Marian continued

"I agree" Regina said slowly

"Ok, and" Marian took another deep breath and twisted her wedding ring

"Please dear, just say what you mean"

"Emma means a lot to me and you seem to really care about her" Marian said all in one breath. Regina still did not know what was happening. Her mouth opened and closed again. "She never had a family and she wants one, but she can't just be someone's kept woman -I beg your pardon, ma'am-" Marian swallowed and lifted her chin to meet Regina's eyes "I don't want to be indelicate, but I know the laws of this kingdom...you could never marry her"

The penny dropped. Regina's chin lifted and lowered again slowly as she understood.

"Ah, I see. Well you are correct about our laws…" she watched Marian's lips thin as she nodded along "but what's the point of being queen if you can't fix injustices like that?"

Marian was mid-nod when she froze and looked up at her. Regina held her gaze without expression for a moment and let the corner of her mouth curl slightly up. Marian burst into a smile and grasped Regina's arms. She didn't speak, she only squeezed, laughed and turned away. Regina was unsure of what just happened. She was startled from being grabbed. She didn't really understand what it had meant but she took Marian's gesture to be a good one, whatever it was.

Emma dropped into a hard wooden bench with a thud. She panted a little before she sat up. Sweat glistened on her chest and her cheeks were a rosy pink.

The music started up again and different people began dancing. A swish of red and the sound of castanets signalled Marian.

"How was that?" She asked when Regina appeared at the table

"You're an enormous show off" Regina said as she smiled down at her "but it was very good"

She placed a tankard on the table in front of Emma and wiped the residual water from her hands with more grace than Emma had ever seen used in a public house before.

"Where did you get that?" Emma asked sitting up to take it.

Regina's eyebrow quirked "The bar?"

"You ordered it? Do you even carry money?"

"Well as their que-...as the heir to the throne" she corrected as her face flushed with warmth

"Uhuh" Emma gulped fresh water down and her eyes glimmered over the rim. "Well, heir to the throne, would you like to sit with me and watch Marian? Her dance is incredible"

Regina turned to look "yes I remember"

Emma's eyes widened for a moment "oh yeah, of course, here I'll move up"

Regina sat on the bench and took the tankard from Emma's hands.

"This is truly something" she said taking a sip and watching the people around them laugh and share with so much genuine affection she almost couldn't take it in. She laughed when she noticed a drunken Ruby standing head and shoulders above Mrs Tipping, but arm around her nonetheless as they talked and watched the dancing.

"Very appropriate that this all ends with a dance, huh?" Emma said sadly

"Ends?"

Emma took the tankard and placed it on the table. She stroked it with her thumb for a moment before turning to Regina, eyes cast down.

"Well, you don't need a dance teacher anymore" the corners of her mouth tugged down and her jaw clenched

"No I suppose not" Regina replied.

She pictured their dingy room at the far end of the castle, the forgotten part. She remembered how she hated Emma when they met, how rude she was. She thought of their walks in the grounds when she felt like she could breathe again and their dance in the great hall when she certainly couldn't. She had danced all night and had proven she could dance once more. Once she had Emma back she had never considered it ending.

Emma's bottom lip was tucked between her teeth. Her fingers traced the wood grain of the bench back. Regina watched until Emma couldn't avoid her gaze any longer.

"I don't need a dance teacher"' Regina said. Emma shook her head slowly "how about a dance partner?"

It was unlikely that the inhabitants of the pub could have left without their notice, that the musicians would have downed tools and the dancers stilled, but that's what it seemed like in their protected little booth.

"What?"

Regina touched Emma's cheek and smiled as her eyes widened.

"This isn't the end, dear. This is just the beginning"

* * *

 ** _The end!_**

 ** _Thank you so much to everyone who followed this from the start, especially those who waited the long months towards the end for updates. Please let me know what you thought, this was a real labour of love and a real learning experience that I started as a really really new writer :)_**


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